Afters
by smiles2go
Summary: Hatter and Alice are torn apart when they try to get married
1. Chapter 1

**A Conversation**

"Alice?" Carol asked still in shock, "What's going on? Who is this?"

Alice and Hatter looked at each other and then turned to face Carol.

"Um, well" Alice said. Hatter pressed close to her side. Her hand found his and held tight. He tried to keep the grin off his face.

"Is your name David or … Hatter?" Carol frowned. Who was this man? Alice had never even hugged a man in front of her let alone kissed one. Why had she never heard of him before. What happened to Jack who was so special just last night. "What happened to Jack?"

"My name is David, but everyone calls me Hatter." He held up the black hat in his other hand. Alice looked at him in surprise. "David? Really? You don't look like a David"

When the doorbell rang, Carol opened the door still looking at Alice and Hatter. Still surprised that Alice didn't even know his real name. If it was his real name.

"Hello Alice." Jack stood in the doorway. "I want to talk to you." of course he didn't take his eyes off Alice. "Good afternoon Carol"

Hatter stepped forward frowning, but Alice still had hold of his right hand and squeezed tighter. He stopped and glanced down at her. She flashed her eyes, reminding him where they were and who was going to do any fighting here. He frowned, his eyes making no promises.

"Jack? Will someone please tell me what's going on here?" Carol let go of the door and Jack came in and closed it softly. He walked into the loft, straightening his tie and then put his hands in his pockets. He had planned to hold both hands out to Alice, and she would take them and step into his arms. He hadn't expected Hatter to find her so quickly.

"Alice, please just listen to me. Let me explain." Jack smiled down to her. A smile ruined by a very stiff jaw.

"Jack what are you doing here?" Alice asked. She could feel Hatter's hand tremble. Was in anger or fear? Just how had Hatter gotten here. Was he in some kind of trouble.

"She doesn't have to talk to ya" Hatter said clenching his left fist. It wasn't as good as the right, but it would do for this soft prince. His precious hat fell unnoticed to the floor.

"WHAT is going on?" Carol interrupted, seeing things were about to turn violent and not knowing why. "Alice, start explaining."

"I will mom, in a minute. But first could you go to the store or something. I need…. We need some privacy. Please." Alice quickly glanced at her mom, then back to stare at Jack.

Carol just shook her head, reluctant to leave Alice alone with two obviously angry men.

"Mom? Please. I'll be fine." Alice forced herself to smile.

Jack gave a Carol a quick smile. "Just a little misunderstanding, Carol. Won't take long to straighten out"

Carol sighed and grabbed her keys off the table and opened the door, "Five minutes." She said looking at Alice and went out the door.

"Jack? What are you doing here?" Alice asked, trying to pull Hatter to the sofa and failing to budge him an inch.

"I need to talk to you." He felt his tie again, smoothed the sides of his red jacket. He took a couple steps toward Alice. "Alone."

"Ya have a kingdom to run, yeah? And a Duchess waiting on ya" Hatter asked, slightly stepping in front of Alice. He was afraid. Yes, she jumped in his arms and kissed him. But the last time she'd almost kissed him and still left with Jack.

"I said no. Remember, Jack?" Alice said softly. "I can't be your Queen."

"I know. I know. But it was too soon. Look Alice, I know I messed things up, but I'd like a chance to make it right. A chance to start over, with no lies between us. I really do love you Alice." Jack smiled. After all, he was a King now, he could offer Alice anything she wanted. How could she prefer a scruffy nobody to him.

"Please Alice. All I'm asking is a chance." Jack could do sincerity very well. He wanted Alice and he'd always gotten what he wanted. And she was something he really wanted.

"Don't listen to 'im, Alice! It's just another lie." Hatter sounded desperate even to himself. Alice and Jack were still looking at each other and no one was listening to him. The only thing that gave him hope was the fact that Alice still had tight hold of his hand.

"She said no. Go. Home. Back to ya Duchess." Hatter growled.

"Jack, I…" Alice began.

"Just a chance, Alice. That's all I'm asking." Jack interrupted, smiling at her. The new King smile he'd been practicing all the way here.

"Alice?" Hatter said "Ya said ya trusted me completely, yeah?" Hatter squeezed her hand tightly, afraid she would step toward Jack. He watched her eyes, afraid of what he would see there. He couldn't lose her again.

"I do trust you." Alice looked at Hatter and smiled. "_COMPLETELY_." She smiled into his eyes.

Hatter started to breathe a little.

"Alice, let me talk to you alone. I need to explain." Jack frowned. This wasn't going at all the way he expected. "This man is not good enough for you. You don't know anything about him. You don't know what he's done"

"No, Jack." Alice smiled "I know all I need to know."

"This man? He has nothing here. No home, no job, no money. He can't stay here. I command him to return to Wonderland." Jack lifted his chin a little higher.

Hatter slumped his shoulders and unclenched his fist. It was true. He couldn't give Alice anything here. Not yet anyway. But he would. He would get her anything she wanted. She had to know that.

"He has me." Alice smiled shyly at Hatter.

"Really?" Hatter looked at her and grinned. "Yeah?"

"I'm not giving up Alice. I can't." Jack said "I love you. You saved Wonderland. You should be Queen. My Queen."

But Hatter was kissing her, hands twisted in her hair and she was kissing him back.

Jack sucked in his breath, "This isn't over Alice" and opened the door. Carol stood there, key in hand.

"Carol." Jack nodded at her. "Watch out for that man. He's dangerous." And he walked out.


	2. Chapter 2

A Walk

"Alice. Sit down and tell me what's going on here. What did Jack mean? He said David was dangerous. Alice!" Carol closed the door.

Alice and Hatter jumped apart. Hatter's fingers found hers and wound them together.

"Jack is just jealous. Pay no attention to him." Alice told her mom. "Mom. I… this is the _One_." She smiles at Hatter who was grinning back at her.

"That may be. Or not. You were pretty sure about Jack yesterday." Carols heels click across the floor as she crosses to the sofa. "Sit down and explain it to me." Carol smiles… the mother smile. Hatter groaned. It was killing him to stand this still.

"Yesterday? Oh, yeah." Alice sighed, "Look mom, I know you are curious about Hatter, but I promise you, everything is all right."

"Ok, How long have you known David? And why do you call him Hatter?" Carol gestures to the chairs. Refusing to be separated, Alice and Hatter step closer, but still stand.

"Um, three - four days?" Alice looks at Hatter. "Hatter is just a nickname"

"Yeah that sounds about right." Hatter clears his throat. He's nervous. He's dealt with Suits, other smugglers, other people he doesn't want to think about, but not of them scared him like Alice's mother.

"Three or four days? And you think you can fall in love in three or four days?" Carol sighed.

"Sometimes it takes just one look, yeah?" Hatter said.

Alice's fingers tightened in his. "Really?" she smiles.

"I didn't say which look, did I?" he grinned, thinking of a pretty girl in a very wet dress.

"Where are you from, David?" Carol crossed her legs, settling in for a long talk.

"Stop it mom. You don't have to grill him." Alice frowned. Hatter couldn't give her any answers. Not the truth anyway.

"The city." Hatter said, clearing his throat again. He noticed his hat on the floor and bent to pick it up, still holding on to Alice. He had never wanted to turn tail and run more in his life.

"What are your intentions towards my daughter?"

"Mom!" Alice said. "Stop it."

"Honey, someone has to look out for you. This just doesn't make sense." Carol frowned at her daughter. She was not acting like herself.

"Mom just forget it for now. Look, we're going for a walk. We need to talk." Alice drug Hatter towards the door. She grabbed her jacket off a hook.

"Alice! David!" Carol stood up, "I'm not finished talking to you."

Hatter stopped and turned back to Carol.

"My intentions? My intentions are to take care of Alice. To give her happiness and laughter. To wipe away the tears. To give her anything she wants. Whatever it takes. She's everything to me" Hatter nodded. "Everything." He smiled down at Alice who was quite a bit shorter without her boots.

"Wow." Was all Alice could think of to say.

"Will you come outside? There's something I want to ask you." Hatter let go of her hand to put his hat on and adjust it properly. "Something important."

"I…yes of course." Alice put on her jacket and opened the door. "Outside?"

When the door was shut, Hatter picked up a small duffle bag and pulled her toward the stairs, "Come on!" She laughed and they ran down the stairs and out into the street. He stopped and looked both ways frowning.

"What did you want to ask me?" Alice grabbed his arm afraid of what it might be.

"I can't ask you here. There has to be grass and trees and …things" Hatter waved his arms, bag swinging.

"Ok, there is a little park a few blocks over. Will that work?" she frowned. Why would he need grass and trees and …what things?

"Brilliant! Come on then" Hatter held out his hand to her and she smiled and took it. The walked slowly down the sidewalk. 

"I thought I was never going to see you again." Alice finally said.

"I missed you." Hatter said.

She touched his face, "Your cuts and bruises are gone. How long did it take for you to come through the mirror? Was it the time difference thing? Mom said I was only gone an hour. An hour!"

He felt his face. "About five minutes I guess. Dunno why they're gone. Charlie called me a nughead and asked if this time, THIS TIME wasn't I going to follow you. " Hatter grinned sheepishly. "I was just standing there like a fish."

"I can't believe they just let you come." Alice shook her head.

"Oh. I may have had to hit a few people." He looked down. "I don't really remember."

"Hatter!" Alice wanted to laugh, but didn't. He could be in trouble. "Are you in trouble or something?"

"nah. People go and come all the time. Well they used to." He shrugged.

"Jack was pretty hurt when I turned him down." Alice looked down. "I never wanted to hurt him. I think he really cared about me."

"Yeah, you were hugging him pretty good when I came thru the door. I thought… I thought…." Hatter gestured with his other hand, swinging the bag in the air.

"What did you think?" Alice asked. "That I still wanted Jack?" She shook her head. "You were right about him. You were right all along."

"Anyways, I don't want to talk about Jack. I want to talk about us" Hatter smoothed her hair down where the wind had blown it.

They were at the park and he made her sit on a bench in front of the pond.

"I have a thousand questions. I don't understand. How did you follow me thru and now have different clothes? How did you find our loft? How did…." Alice started.

"I was terrified." Hatter interrupted. "You must have hit your head when you fell. I couldn't wake you up so I carried you away from mirror and went outside to get help." Hatter started pacing up and down in front of her.

"Put down that bag before you hit something." Alice reached for it. "What's in here anyway?"

"My old clothes and .. things." Hatter shrugged. "Anyways Alice, I wanted to ask you something." Hatter stopped pacing and dropped to his knees in front of her. She caught her breath and started shaking her head no, no, no.

Hatter took both of her hands in his. "Alice, I … I meant those things I said to your mother and much, much more."

"Hatter, I… it's…" Alice tried to pull her hands away. She looked around, getting ready to run.

"Alice, look at me. Trust me." Hatter wasn't holding her hands tightly, but she knew he wouldn't let her go. She looked in his eyes, seeing a different Hatter.

"Ever since I turned around and saw you, I…. " Hatter swallowed, "you make me better Alice. You make me want to be something better." He tipped his head sideways. "You…"

"Hatter, wait" Alice interrupted shaking her head. "Don't."

"You wait. I might not be able to say this twice, yeah?" He grinned. The old Hatter was back.

"There's a hundred Teas in Wonderland. But none of them made me feel like you do. You make me alive, make me whole. I can't lose you Alice. I can't bear to spend one more day away from you." He grinned, "or night."

Alice opened her mouth, then closed it. She nodded.

"Will you be my wife Alice? Forever and Always, Yeah?." The serious Hatter was back, he searched her eyes afraid to hope for the answer he wanted.

"Hatter, I…" she stopped, shaking her head. "I … you haven't said you love me."

"Have you not heard a word I've said? Love you? Love you?" Hatter shook his head. He would never understand these people. He stood up and started pacing again. Stopped in front of her. "Don't you love me?" He dropped to his knees again and laid his head in her lap, knocking his hat off.

"Alice?" he asked "don't you love me?" He closed his eyes. He never thought. She said _completely_. Twice. Surely that meant something.

Alice smoothed his hair. Thick, unruly hair she'd been wanting to get her hands in.

"Hatter, oh Hatter. Of course I love you. It's just so soon. I…it really has only been four days. We can still be together."

Hatter lifted his head and looked at her. "Better, remember?" he grinned. "I won't live in sin with you." He would though, he would do anything she wanted. But he wanted to make sure she was his. "Trust me, Alice."

"I do trust you. I just…." She looked away. Old feelings of panic trying to surface.

"Look at me Alice. Yes or no. Right here right now." He took both her hands and held them together. "Please."

Alice took a deep breath to let him down gently. Only 'no' came out a whispered "yes."

Hatter jumped up, shouting. He pulled Alice up and swung her around. "YES YES YES. She said Yes!" he shouted to some people in the park who had turned to look, then kissed her hard.

"Ok, I'm gonna need a few hours. It's gonna be a real Wonderland wedding, yeah? You're gonna love it!" he swung her around again laughing.

"What! Wait! Now? Today? Are you crazy!" Alice pulled out of his arms "I can't get married today!" She stomped her foot, remembering all the wedding dreams she'd had as a girl. "You can't get married in one day. There's a license and… and stuff. I want a real wedding."

"It will be a real wedding. A traditional Wonderland wedding, No license required. I'll take care of everything. You just have to show up."

"Hatter, you can not just GET MARRIED in my world. It takes time, planning, money. Lots of money. I don't have a dress or anything." Alice could see explaining her world to Hatter was going to take some effort.

"You're not listening. I said I would take care of it. We'll have it right here, yeah? At sunset." He looked around. "We'll be married right there in the gazebo. And you will belong to me." he grinned. "Well technically, you already belong to me since I paid Ratty a whole bottle of Excitement for you"

"Hatter, you can't possibly take care of setting up a wedding in a few hours. There's a thousand details that have to be settled. Besides, if there is no license, the wedding isn't legal here." Alice pulled on his arm, trying to get him to listen. "And Ratty didn't own me in the first place. So he couldn't sell me."

"Legal? What do you mean legal? " he frowned at her.

"Not in this state. Not in this country. Not in this world. Not legal"

"You Oysters have funny rules. We'll make it 'legal' later." Hatter make quote marks in the air when he said legal. She shook her head at him.

"Hatter, no. no and no"

"You said yes. You can't change your mind now, yeah? Don't worry about it. Trust me"

He started walking back to her loft. "You go home and pack a bag. Tell your mom to cancel any plans this evening. She's going to a party"

Hatter rushed her back to the loft, ignoring her pleas. She finally gave up.

At the door he gave her a quick kiss.

"Hatter, tell me how you think you can put together a wedding in a few hours?" Alice asked as she opened the door. Hatter frowned. Didn't these people ever lock their doors?

"I know some people," He grinned at her. "who know some other people."

She shook her head. "but Hatter…"

"No buts, just go. Trust me. Everything will be fine." He kissed her again and ran toward the stairs. "Better than fine."


	3. Chapter 3

Yes

"I'm back, mom." Alice calls as she hangs up her jacket. A wedding? Hatter was going to be so disappointed when it didn't work out. But a party would be fun.

"Where's David?" Carol ask coming in from the kitchen. "Gone already?"

"Mom why don't you like Hatter?" Alice asks hugging her mom "He's a great guy"

"It's not that I don't like him, I don't know him. He seems very nice, very sweet. He's very theatrical isn't he? I mean he talks more with his hands" Carol sat down and patted the cushion beside her "Honey sit down and talk to me."

"Nice? Sweet? Hatter is a lot of things, but I don't think nice or sweet is one of them. Two of them. Mom….I " Alice began. "I…"

"You what?" Carol frowned, "What is it?"

"I … I said … I…" Alice looked away. Had she really told Hatter she would marry him.

"Alice! What is it?" Carol reached out to Alice.

"Hatter asked me to marry him" Alice said it very fast. Saying it out loud made it real. Wow. "And I said yes. I said yes mom." Alice laughed. "I'm getting married. Today."

"What! Alice what are you talking about!" Carol stood up "Never mind the fact that you can't get married today!" He was after her trust fund. She knew it

"Alice, you're gonna be 21 next month, and you'll get your trust fund. It's quite a bit of money and I think you should think about David's motives. You shouldn't talk about getting married to anyone till you talk to a lawyer."

"Mom is that all you can think about? Hatter isn't after my trust fund. He doesn't even know about it." Alice stood and walked to the window.

"Honey, these people find out about those things. I just think you should wait about getting engaged. Or at least think about a pre-nup." Carol followed her to the window.

"Mom, look at me. I am getting married today."

"You can't get married today. It's Saturday and you can't even get a license, let alone get in to a judge. Don't be silly"

"It's some … family custom thing. I don't think there is a judge. He said there was no license needed. So it's not legally binding." Alice thought furiously. "more like an engagement ceremony I guess." Making up explanations for her mom was getting more and more confusing. "Anyway he is setting it all up at the little park down the street."

"Honey this sounds very weird." Carol shook her head. "You can't marry someone you met three days ago"

You don't know the half of it Alice thought.

"Anyway, I don't think he has time to make it very fancy or anything." Not like the wedding she had dreamed of. Alice signed and determined to forget about that.

"I'm going away for a few days with Hatter." Alice told her mom. "I need to go pack a bag. You should wear that black dress you got last weekend. You look really good in it." Alice started walking to her room.

"Alice I don't like this one bit." Carol smiled and hugged Alice. "I want you to be happy. Just remember this can't be a real wedding. Even an engagement party is rushing things. There's no time to invite your friends."

"I am happy mom. Hatter's not like anyone I've ever met."

"Hmmmm. I'm starving. Do you want some lunch?" Carol walked to the kitchen.

"Yeah sure. Whatever." Alice went to her room and studied her wardrobe. Nothing very honeymoonish in there. She sighed. She so hated doing things on the spur of the moment. But it seems that was going to be normal with Hatter. She smiled to herself. She was going to be with Hatter.

After lunch, Carol was setting dishes in the sink when the door buzzed. "I'll get it." she told Alice and went to the door. It was a delivery man with a box for Alice. "It's for you honey, come open it." Carol sat the box on the coffee table.

Alice came in and reached for the box and opened the card. 'From the bottom up' was all it said and signed with a flourished H. She looked at her mom and handed her the card.

"Well hurry up and open it!" Carol loved presents.

Alice ripped off the wrapping paper and stared in surprise. It was a box from Jimmy Choos. Jimmy Choos? How did Hatter know about Jimmy Choos? Alice opened the box and inside were dressy white leather half boots.

Carol smiled and inside relaxed a little. Anyone who could afford Jimmy Choos, was perhaps not as poor as he looked.

"Look at this, mom! Aren't they great?" She laughed and kicked off her sneakers. The boots fit perfectly and she danced around the room. "How could he know my size?" Alice remembered Hatter noticed things, like the ring on her finger before taking her to the Great Library. "White boots are so impractical"

The door buzzed again and Carol got up to answer it. This time there were two boxes, one much larger than the other, both dress boxes from Vera Wang. The note said, 'Better than a purple coat, yeah? – H'

Alice's hands were shaking when she opened the big one. Out spilled the most beautiful wedding gown she'd ever seen. The bodice was heart shaped and ruched to fit tight. There was layer after layer of skirt flaring out with hundreds of tiny pearls and crystals sewn in that glittered in the light. The bolero jacket had a note pinned to it. 'So you don't catch cold – H' Alice thought she was going to cry. No matter what happened she wasn't giving this dress back.

Carol held it up and frowned. "Alice, this is a real wedding dress. Not something to wear to an engagement party." A pearl-studded silk purse fell onto the floor.

"Then I guess it's a real wedding." Alice unzipped the dress and started to strip off her jeans. "He got the size right. Imagine that."

"Alice you know you can't get married, really married today. And I think he knows too much about you. This is some kind of trick." . Carol opened the other Vera Wang box with her name on it. Inside was a gold cocktail length dress. She held it up to herself. "Either he has lots of money or is blowing a few credit cards."

"Zip me up" Alice twirled around "How do I look?" The dress floated to just above the floor so her boots peeked out.

"Mom that will look great on you. Zip me up." Alice twirled around between the two big mirrors in the living room.

Carol shook her head and went to answer the door again. This time it was flowers. A dozen red roses. "Look honey, flowers. Oh these are from Jack." Carol held them up to her nose and took a deep breath. "I just love roses." She went to the kitchen to put them in water.

Alice glanced up at her mom. Poor Jack. Why wouldn't he listen. Carol came back and placed the vase on the coffee table. She looked at Alice and tears sprung to her eyes. "Oh honey, you're so beautiful!" She hugged her.. "Turn around and let me zip you up"

Carol started to go to her room to try on the gold dress when the door buzzed again. More flowers. White and blue flowers in a circlet with long white ribbons hanging down in back.

"Look at this honey. Certainly starting to look like a real wedding to me. If it's not, the real one is going to be pretty bland after this. Unless this dress isn't for today?" she set the circlet over Alice's hair. "Let me get the camera. You look so beautiful. You know I had always planned shopping for your wedding dress with you"

Carol went to get the camera while Alice just stared at herself in the mirror. She was transformed into someone else. Someone who could have been a fairy princess. She looked like a real bride. This was all wrong. They should be getting married in the Kingdom of the Knights and Charlie should be giving her away since her dad…her dad couldn't.

Carol stopped to try on her dress before getting the camera. It was a beautiful dress and fit very well. Her thoughts were in a whirl, excited for Alice and worried this was a trick and certainly happening much too fast. She didn't know what to think. She opened the closet door wondering if her gold shoes would match.

"Mom, hurry up. I still need to do something with my hair." Alice called.

Carol stared at herself in the mirror. She didn't look half bad. "Just a minute." she answered Alice smiling to herself. Imagine that.

After Carol had put Alice's hair up and pinned on the circlet, she asked Alice if she'd called any of her friends?

"No, Hatter said it would be a small ceremony. Nothing fancy." She looked down at the dress. "well not too fancy It can't be a real wedding anyway mom. I know that"

"Well I think you should have some friends there. I'll call them." Carol went to hunt for the address book. She was talking to someone on the phone when Alice heard her calling her name. "What?" Alice answered not wanting to leave the mirror. She would never be this beautiful again.

"Honey, I didn't get David's last name. What is it"

"Um" Alice bit her lip. What should she say. She couldn't make up one, it was bound to be said at this 'wedding' thing. Funny that was one question she never thought to ask.

"What? I can't hear you" Alice could hear her mom coming down the hall.

"Honey, I can't just tell people you're marrying David somebody." Carol stood in the doorway still holding her phone.

"Um. You see the thing is… I. "Alice met her mom's eyes in the mirror. "I don't exactly know what his last name is. Just Hatter."

"You don't know what his last name is?" Carol shook her head, "You're planning on marrying someone and you don't know what his name is? I don't believe this."

"It will be ok mom. Doesn't matter what his name is" Alice turned and went to her mom.

"Of course it matters!" Carol said. "What else don't you know? You can forget this wedding / engagement party thing today." This couldn't be happening. In fact it wasn't happening!

"Mom. Please. It really doesn't matter. I know who he is. "

"Alice, what's happened to you?" Carol hugged her daughter. "This isn't like you at all."

"I changed mom. Hatter… being with Hatter changed me." Alice pulled away from her mom.

"I don't understand you at all." Carol heard something and realized she still had the phone in her hand. "I'll have to call you back." She told them and hung up.

"Mom, I don't know how to make you understand." Alice sat down.

"There's something you're not telling me." Carol stared at her daughter.

Lots and lots of things, Alice thought. "Yes, but it wouldn't make you understand any better. Look mom, I'm going to the park and doing whatever Hatter asks. I trust him"

"No. no and no." Carol said. "You will do no such thing."

"Mom," Alice stood. "I'm going with Hatter. I thought I'd lost him once. Thought I was going to have to live my life without him. I won't go thru that again. You don't understand"

"Then make me understand. Explain it to me. Tell me what you're not telling me."

"I can't. I…There's the door again." Alice walked past her mom and answered the door.

Another deliver man with a smaller box. "Thanks" Alice signed for the box and looked at the card. "from Jack." Inside were heart shaped chocolates. "Here mom, you like chocolates." Alice handed her mom the box.

"Oh." Carol picked up a card from the coffee table. "This was with the flowers."

Alice opened the card "You know my heart belongs to you. Jack" She smiled. Just a few days ago this would have meant so much. She looked at the roses and wondered what kind of flowers Hatter would give her.

"Alice are you sure you want to choose some guy whose last name you don't even know over Jack who obviously cares for you? You act like he's brainwashed you."

Alice sighed and spent the next couple hours listening to her mom come up with reasons why she shouldn't get engaged to Hatter. Why she Jack was a better choice. How preposterous it was to think of getting married today with no preparation. And if it wasn't a wedding, what was the point of so elaborate an engagement party. She didn't want to argue with her mom, but she had made up her mind. Promised Hatter.

Late in the afternoon the buzzer rang again. A limo driver stood there. "Your car is here Miss Hamilton."

"Car? Oh? Okay. Just a sec." Alice left the door open and called to her mom to hurry up.

"Alice, if I refuse to go, would it change your mind?" Carol asked "If I forbid this would it make a difference?"

Alice shook her head. "No." and picked up the beaded purse. "I want you to come. Please come mom." Alice said and walked out the door.

Holding her skirt up so it didn't hit the sidewalk, Alice slid in the towncar without really looking.

"My mom will be down in a sec." she told the driver as he shut the door.

"Hello Alice" Jack smiled at her.


	4. Chapter 4

Limo ride

"Alice, you look lovely. Drive on" Jack waved at the driver who started the car and pulled away from the curb.

"Jack!" Alice looked up in shock. "What are you doing here! Wait!"

"Going somewhere?" He looked her up and down "Pretty fancy dress"

"Jack, I can't go anywhere with you right now! Tell the driver to stop." Alice watched as the glass between driver and them slid up and closed.

"I just want to talk to you. You wouldn't listen earlier." Jack leaned forward as if to take her hands.

"Not now Jack. I have a… a date" Alice tried to unlock the door, pulling on the door handle, but nothing worked.

"Date? Pretty fancy date. And your mom is going too? With Hatter?" Jack frowned at her. He touched his tie to make sure it was perfect.

"We…It's some thing my mom has. A ball or something." Alice was getting better and better at dissembling. "Jack please, take me back home. I'm going to be late"

"That looks like a wedding dress to me." Jack put his hands together and tapped his lips.

"That's ridiculous! How could I get married today?" Alice tried to hold his glance but she wasn't very good at lying. That wasn't exactly a lie, but still.

"You're right, that would be ridiculous. Marrying Hatter that is." Jack forced himself to be calm. He didn't want to scare her. She had loved him, just a few days ago. She had gone to Wonderland to rescue him. How could she change so completely so quickly. She must still care about him. Amusing to think of her marrying Hatter and not him.

"Jack. Please take me home. My mom will be standing on the curb waiting for me." Alice forced herself to be calm. Anything she said was going to annoy him and anything she said about Hatter would infuriate him. He was still jealous.

"Of course I'll take you home. I'm not kidnapping you." Jack smiled at her. His sad, patient King smile.

"Thank you. Please hurry." Alice looked out the window trying to see how far they had gone.

"Will you give me a chance to explain? Will you talk to me later tonite?" Jack slid over to the seat beside her and took her hands.

"Ok." Alice answered pulling her hands back. "It will be late I'm sure."

"No matter how late. You promise?" Jack searched her eyes. He didn't see lies but he didn't see love either.

"I will talk to you tonite. Before I go to bed. No matter how late" she could call him later. Probably. Hatter wouldn't like it but she had promised.

"Ok." Jack smiled and pushed a button the door. "Let's take the lady back home"

"Thank you, Jack." Alice was finally able to breathe. Late for her own wedding. Hatter would think... would be hurt.

The car pulled up smoothly to the curb where Carol and Hatter stood gesturing wildly at each other. Alice didn't wait for the driver to get all the way around the car, but opened her door and slid out.

"Remember your promise." Jack called after her. She shut the door without answering and turned to face her mom and Hatter.

The driver turned and walked back around to get in. "That's him sir? That's Hatter?" he asked Jack who was still looking at Alice as the car pulled away.

"Yes."

_Ok tell me what you think. Want me to go on? It's hard not making Jack too evil. He's so smug. But he was always polite to Alice. I hate the way he stands with his shoulders thrust back. Probably thinks he looks like Dudley Do-Right._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sunset in the Park

_Thanks to everyone who left feedback. I really appreciate it! This started out to be shorts, but somehow it's turning into one LONG story. _

"Alice! Was that Jack?" Carol walked over to hug Alice "What happened? Where did you go?"

Alice hugged her mom, looking at Hatter dressed in a tux with long tails and blue bowtie. He was staring at her dumbfounded with his mouth open, top hat dangling from one hand.

"I.. I thought it was a car you sent. I didn't see Jack till I was inside." Alice let her mom go and walked towards Hatter. "He just wanted to talk. Hatter?" He stared at her, his eyes widened in shock and surprise.

"Hatter?" She touched him arm. "Say something."

"Blue!" Hatter shouted frowning. "I said blue! " He grabbed her shoulders.

"I said blue!"

"What!" Alice jerked away. "Blue? What are you talking about?"

A white limo slid silently up to the curb and a smiling woman got out. "Hello! Sorry we're late. Blame Zwoop"

Hatter looked at her. "I said the blue one!" He yelled, waving the top hat at her.

"Don't be silly. You can get her the blue one later. Just look at her, isn't she beautiful?"

She walked over to Alice "I'm Glenna and I'm so very happy to meet you!" she hugged her tightly. "Ignore him, he's just a man. He doesn't know any better" she laughed.

She held her hand out to Carol. You must be Alice's mom."

"Please call me Carol." Carol took her hand smiling. "Are you David's mom?"

"Oh, No. David's parents are both…gone." I'm an honorary aunt I guess. Come get in the car where it's warm and let the children talk a minute." Glenna started walking toward the car still holding Carol's hand.

With a last glance at Alice and Hatter, Carol got in the limo. "Glenna, will you tell me David's last name? And what on earth is a zwoop?"

Hatter looked her up and down, "The blue one was prettier. What did you promise him?"

"What?" Alice shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"I picked out perfectly good BLUE dress. At least there's some blue here" He touched the flowers in her hair. "Why are you making promises to him?" His eyes were hurt.

"I didn't make any promises! And this dress is the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. Thank you for sending it. And the boots." Alice reached out to touch his jacket. "You look very nice." She thought he looked perfectly yummy.

"Of course, you're beautiful. You're always beautiful. But the blue one was better." Hatter grumbled, covering her hand with his. He looked down searching her eyes. "I heard him. He said '_remember your promise'_ when you got out of his car. What promise Alice?"

"Oh. That. I just.." she looked away. "He wants me to call him later. I said I would. He doesn't understand."

"Oh, so you told him you'd call him later? Tonite of all nights you told him you'd call him later?" Hatter shouted shaking his head, top hat swinging in the air again. "Why didn't you just invite him to the wedding? Did you even tell him we're getting married tonite?" He turned away from her. "You keep running off with him."

"Just because I'm marrying you, doesn't mean I have to be rude to Jack. Shouldn't we be getting to this party?" Alice asked. Someone honked the horn.

"I'm not going." Hatter frowned at her.

"What!" Alice reached out for his hand but he stepped back. "What do you mean you're not going!"

"I.. There's one more surprise I'm waiting on. Go to the park with Glenna. I'll be along in a bit." Hatter pushed her towards the limo.

She came right back, "What! No! I'm not going without you!"

"Alice, just go. The sooner I go, sooner I get back, yeah?"

"Where are you going?" Alice grabbed his arm with both hands. "Tell me!"

He grinned down at her, "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise. Trust me. It's going to be a great surprise." He gave her a hard, quick kiss. "Won't be long."

"I've had enough surprises. Who's Glenna? You didn't say you had family here. You didn't even say you'd ever been here."

Hatter sighed. "Glenna was my mom's best friend. Now, I really must go Alice. If I'm late, you'll think I ran off and left you, yeah?"

"No. Come with me. I have a bad feeling about this." Alice said slowly. "I'm sorry if you thought I ran off and left you. I won't ever leave you again."

"You're making a fuss over nothing, yeah?" He touched the flowers in her hair again. "Go on. I'll be there before you finish your first glass of champagne." Hatter pushed her towards the limo. "Go"

She came back and gave him a quick kiss. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly, then pushed her away. "You are NOT talking to him later!" Hatter shouted after her as she got in the limo. He stood there and watched the car pull away before turning to run down the alley.

"Alice, where's David?" Carol asked, "Glenna has been telling me about his family."

Alice twisted around to watch Hatter as the car pulled away from the curb. "He had something else to get. He'll be there in a little while."

"Glenna, one thing I don't understand. Alice is calling this party a wedding." Carol went on. "How is that possible?"

"Wedding? Don't be silly. They have no license, no minister, not even a judge. Why, it wouldn't be legal." Glenna laughed and winked at Alice when Carol looked out the window. "It's an old family custom. Goes back centuries." She explained.

It was only a short drive to the park. Carol and Alice stared out the window in awe. The plain little park had been transformed into a fairy wonderland. The gazebo and every tree had been covered in blue and white flowers and tiny sparkling lights. Rows of chairs sat in a circle around the gazebo. Two lines of torches marched down each side of the center aisle waiting to be lit. Food and champagne bottles were set out on long tables covered with in white. Haunting music was coming from somewhere. People crowded in everywhere. The party was in full swing, lots of laughter, eating and dancing. When the limo pulled up, everyone stopped talking and walked towards them.

"It's so beautiful!" Alice got out of the car. The sun was just setting. "I've never seen anything like it!" The crystals in her skirt picked up and reflected the lights so she seemed to glow.

"Who are all these people?" Carol asked looking around "Alice this is amazing"

Glenna looked at Alice, "These are our people, David's people. Come and meet them." She took Alice's hand and led her toward the crowd. Carol followed behind looking around shaking her head. David couldn't have done this all in one day. He must have been planning this for weeks. Four days indeed.

Glenna led Alice to a man who looked to be in his thirties. He was the most beautiful man Alice had ever seen. Wavy dark hair, flashing dark eyes, a little pirate moustache and goatee with a soul patch. When he spoke, it was with a slight French accent. The only word that came to mind was … suave.

"Welcome Alice. I'm Zwoop." When she held out her hand, he laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm Hatter's cousin. Well, something like that." He held her by the shoulders and smiled at her. "We are so glad to meet you at last." He turned slightly and gestured to the four women ranged behind him. "This is Bambi, Sasha, Candy and Miss October"

"Call me Melanie." Miss October smiled. "I'm so excited to meet you!" she gushed.

"We are all very excited to meet you." The brunette said. All four hugged Alice talking at the same time laughing. They circled around Alice while Zwoop introduced himself to Carol. Glenna laughed and said "Zwoop indeed! His name is Lucas"

"Your dress is so pretty." One of the women said. "Not as pretty as mine was though"

"Thank you" Alice stared at them. All very different – blond, redhead, brunette and one with impossibly long black hair. All incredibly beautiful. "Are you related to Hatter?" She asked.

"Oh no," the one with the long hair – Sasha, Alice thought, laughed, "we're with Zwoop." The others nod. "His wives"

"What?" Alice asked thinking she must have misunderstood. "Wives?" Four wives?

They laughed and held out their hands. All four had bracelets of braided ribbon – gold, white, red and blue.

Alice looked at the bracelets and back up at them. "I don't get it"

Zwoop turned away from Carol and grinned at Alice. "Pay no attention. We're living happily in sin. Come Alice, meet the rest of us." He pulled her toward the crowd waiting to meet her.

It took some time for Alice to shake hands and hug so many people, people who wanted to thank her. Even the children. Carol was puzzled as to why these people all seemed to be grateful to Alice. They were treating her like a celebrity. But the champagne Glenna kept handing her was very good and the cream cake was divine. She must get that recipe.

"What are they thanking me for?" Alice whispered to Zwoop who stayed beside her. She had to smile every time she heard that name. Must be an interesting story.

"You don't know?" he laughed making his moustache twitch. "For freeing Wonderland. For deposing the Queen. For making it possible for them to go home. For ending our exile. "

"What?" Alice asked looking at him. She was getting worried about Hatter. It had been more than a few minutes.

"You have set us free, Alice of Legend." Zwoop held up a hand, "maybe not the original Alice, she was just a little girl. For the first time in many, many years, we can go home openly. And for that, thank you is inadequate. We can never repay you." His face was serious only for a second. "Hatter is a lucky guy." He grinned.

"I didn't do it by myself." Alice denied. "It couldn't have happened without Hatter and Charlie. And the Resistance" she added. "and Jack"

"Alice, we both know the Resistance had very little to do with it. And the Prince? Ha"

Zwoop lifted one eyebrow.

Alice smiled, she just knew he was one of those people that could do that. The smile faded. "Where is Hatter, I'm getting worried?"

"He'll be along soon. He's fetching something for you." Zwoop's voice was calm but his eyes were worried. "Don't worry, Ferret is watching over him."

"Ferret? I don't remember meeting anyone named Ferret." Alice looked around and saw her mother talking with Glenna, sipping champagne.

"Ferret is… isn't….Ferret doesn't talk much." Zwoop explained. "Why don't I go see what's taking so long." He waved to his four wives.

"Ladies, can you keep Alice entertained while I go see what's keeping Hatter?" He took Alice's hand and kissed her knuckles. The women crowded around Alice and swept her off for cream cake and champagne.

They all talked at once and Alice gave up trying to tell who was who. "I don't understand," She interrupted them. "How can this be a wedding? And why is everyone eating before the ceremony?" Alice shook her head no at the cream cake and champagne. No champagne till Hatter got here.

"it's a wedding."

"well, a Wonderland wedding."

"not legal here."

"of course not."

"but you'll be married."

"well married if you go to Wonderland"

"it counts here too."

"but it's not legal"

"you already said that"

"But…" Alice tried to interrupt. "wait.."

"really and truly married."

"but not here"

"But. What…" Alice wondered how Zwoop got a word in edgewise.

"we eat before and after."

"someone is bound to be eating during"

"I love cream cake"

"this is a really good cream cake"

"I love champagne"

"oh me too"

"the ceremony starts when the moon rises"

"and we light the torches"

"it's going to be so pretty"

"did Hatter really only ask you to marry him today?"

"Hatter's kinda cute."

"Not to compare with Zwoop of course"

"of course not"

"but still kinda cute"

"have you really only known him four days?"

"Yes." Alice smiled finally able to say something. "I can't believe all this. Hatter did this?"

"Everyone helped"

"When Hatter told us."

"When we heard your story."

"We're so excited."

"Zwoop said we could go to Wonderland now"

"He's going to take us"

"It's so romantic."

"We never thought Hatter would fall in love again."

"Shhh."

"shut up"

"you shut up"

"tell her about the ceremony"

"did Hatter tell you about the ceremony?"

"Not really. Is it like a regular ceremony?" Alice asked.

"Oh no."

"it's much more romantic"

"come sit down over here"

"and we'll tell you about it."

"the eldest presides"

"bestows the gifts"

"from the four corners"

"no, it's from the four points"

"don't forget about the ribbons."

"that's the best part"

"see, like our ribbons"

"Hatter has the ribbons"

"he should be here by now"

"the moon will be up soon"

"he's going to be late"

"better late than never"

"he wouldn't desert you Alice"

"not you"

"he loves you"

"he told us"

"he told everybody"

"Wait. You can't all talk at once. I don't understand. Ribbons?" Alice looked around and saw Zwoop walking towards them quickly.

"Something's wrong!" Alice ran to meet him. "Where's Hatter?"

"I'm sorry Alice." Zwoop took her hand, "I'm so sorry."

"No. no, no, no. " Alice whispered fearing the worst. "What happened?" She closed her eyes. Couldn't look at the flowers and the lights when Hatter might be dead.

"Don't worry. He's alive. We'll find him." Zwoop held out a long blue ribbon. "They found this."

Alice opened her eyes. She took the ribbon. Must have been one of the ribbons the wives were babbling about. "What happened! Is he hurt? Where is he? Take me to him!"

"I've asked Glenna to take you and your mother home. Take the limo." Zwoop motioned Glenna and Carol closer.

"I'm not going home till I see Hatter." Alice stamped her foot.

"Honey, are you ok?" Carol hugged Alice. "Glenna said David had been mugged."

"It looks like he was attacked and kidnapped." Zwoop answered her. "They only found the top hat and a blue ribbon."

"Oh no!" Glenna cried taking the ribbon from Alice. "One of the ceremony ribbons! Blue – the gift of the North. Oh Alice! Do something Lucas!"

"Calm down all of you." Zwoop said patiently. "Someone is going to meet to Ferret. We'll have more information in a minute.

Glenna wound the ribbon around Alice's wrist and knotted it tightly. Alice stared it. Hatter! Hatter! Hatter! She screamed his name in her mind. Carol put her arms around Alice.

Zwoop pulled out a cell phone and said hello. "I see. Yes ok" he hung up and looked at Alice. "Ferret said he saw some men carrying him toward an abandoned building. He was unconscious." Zwoop exchanged a glance with Glenna. Alice lifted her head. She knew exactly which abandoned building and which men.

"Carol, please take Alice home. We'll call with any news." He urged. "We'll bring Hatter back." He promised.

"I'm going with you!" Alice insisted, pulling away from her mother.

"Honey, I'm sure someone has called the police." Carol looked at Zwoop. "Come home. You can't go running around dressed like that."

"No!" Alice stamped her foot, wanting to scream.

Zwoop took Alice by the shoulders. "Hatter didn't exaggerate when he said you were stubborn." He smiled and shook his head. "but you can't come, Alice. My men are on the way. We will find Hatter and bring him back to you."

Alice could see his wives coming towards them and knew she had to get away before they started talking.

She shook her head and walked away from them ignoring her mothers call. She wasn't going home. When she got to the edge of the park, she picked up her skirts and ran.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ferret and Reflections

Alice raced up the stairs to the room where the Looking Glass stood. Gloomier than last time, she glanced around for Suits. Would she come out in the Looking Glass Room in Wonderland or that other building like before? Didn't matter. She was going after Hatter.

Alice took a deep breath and ran into the mirror. Bouncing off, she fell back , skirts in the air. Soft laughter came from the shadows. She jumped up, looked around and saw no one. "Who's there?"

"Show yourself!" More laughter. Alice looked up. A teenager was perched on one of the pipes that crossed the ceiling. "Who are you?"

He stared at her seemingly awestruck. Then he took something out of his pocket and let it drop down to the floor. Alice bent over to pick up a blue bowtie, just like the one Hatter had on earlier. One end was still wet with blood.

She cried out and threw it down. "No!" She shouted up at the boy on pipe. "NO!"

He nodded his head yes and lightly jumped down. He was just a bit taller than Alice with shaggy blond hair and dressed in old mismatched clothes like a street kid.

"Who are you?" Alice reached out to grab him, but he danced back easily out of her reach. "Are you Ferret?"

He leaned over and picked up the bowtie. Folding it carefully, he put it back in his jacket pocket, wiped his fingers on his pants. His face was serious, even sad. One nod, yes.

"Zwoop said you saw Suits carrying Hatter thru the Looking Glass."

Ferret shakes his head no

"What do you mean no? You didn't see them? Tell me!"

Ferret shakes his head several times, frowning at her. Then one slight nod.

Alice sighs. "Zwoop said you didn't talk much. I guess he meant not at all"

Ferret grinned and tipped his head to the side.

"You saw Hatter?" Alice tried again.

One nod.

"Did Suits carry him thru the mirror?" Alice had a hard time holding on to her patience. She wanted to shake this boy till he answered her.

A quick shake no.

"No? if not Suits then who?" She wondered.

He shrugged and stared at her.

"Someone else, other men?"

He nodded.

"Did you recognize them?"

A shake no. and a shrug. What did that mean.

"Is Hatter ok? I mean is he alive?"

One half nod and a slight hand gesture. Maybe, maybe not.

"Was Hatter… hurt badly?" She was almost afraid to see the answer.

A small nod, a maybe nod. He looked down. Ok so not in good shape. Alice sighed again.

Not dead. They wouldn't carry a dead Hatter back. Why would they take Hatter back anyway? Who would take Hatter back if it wasn't Jack's Suits?

"Ok. Why won't the mirror work? Why couldn't I go thru?" She turned back to look at her reflection. Ferret's reflection shrugged at her. "Is the mirror broken? Is the ring lost again?"

He nodded and pointed to his ring finger again. Then lifted both hands in a 'I don't know' gesture.

"How did they take Hatter thru then?"

He scratched his head and reached out one hand and slipped it into the mirror and back out.

Alice cried out and touched the mirror. It was cold against her fingers.

"Why won't it let me thru!" Alice slapped the mirror. She straightened and tried to compose her thoughts. Talking to this boy took work. She wanted to kick the mirror into splinters.

"Will the mirror let me thru?"

A shake no.

"Why not? I mean…" She didn't know how to phrase it.

"Oyster." Ferret laughed.

So he could talk. Alice frowned at him.

"But I went thru before."

Pointing to his ring finger, Ferret shrugged

"I was wearing the ring. Ok. Is there another way for me to go thru?" she asked watching him closely.

Nothing, then a small nod and a sideways tilt of the head. What did that mean?

Yes no maybe?

"Show me how." Alice demanded.

He shook his head then sighed. He reached out and put one hand thru the mirror then reached out for her hand.

He jerked back when she reached out to take his hand.

"Take me thru." Alice ordered. "Right now."

Ferret shook his head emphatically no.

"Take me!" Alice reached for him intending to throw them both thru at the same time, but Ferret jumped back. He shook his head at her and jumped against the wall, propelling himself high enough to swing back up on the pipes. He looked down at her and shook his head. "Oyster"

Alice stamped her foot in frustration.

Then she looked up and smiled.

"I know someone who will take me to Wonderland." She laughed grimly and ran back down the stairs.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Promises Promises

Alice paid the cabbie with the $20 she'd stuffed in the little beaded purse. It was empty now. The doorman tipped his hat at her as he opened the door. "I'm sorry, Rogers, I gave my last dime to the cabbie"

"Quite all right Miss Hamilton. Mr. Chase is very generous. He went out earlier. I don't think he's back yet."

"Thank you. If he's not here, I'll wait" Alice rode up the elevator wondering what she'd say to Jack.

Alice held the button down till Jack finally opened the door and stood staring at Alice. No jacket, shirt half unbuttoned, he looked ….. unkempt. He held a drink. Alice frowned, she'd never seen Jack drink anything except wine at dinner.

"Alice!" He tried to smooth his hair down. "What are you doing here!" He looked behind him, then opened the door to let her in. The light from one lamp left the apartment almost dark. Gulping down his drink he asked her if she would like a drink. His red jacket and tie were tossed on the floor.

Alice walked to the wall of windows and stood looking down on the city lights. She wondered if Wonderland City sparkled so at night.

"No thanks." Alice said thinking of champagne. "I said I would talk, remember?"

She watched Jack's reflection, filling his glass. Something was wrong. Very wrong. 'Jack?"

"I didn't think you'd come. How was your fancy dress party?" He walked over to stand beside her looking out the window.

"Jack I need you do something for me." Alice smiled at his reflection. She swallowed. It was hard to hold her temper in, since chances were good that Jack was the one who had taken Hatter.

"I was afraid to tell you about your father. I was afraid you wouldn't listen, wouldn't believe me." Jack explained ignoring her question. "And when I fell in love with you it was too late." He shook his head, staring at his drink, swirling the ice cubes. "Too late."

"Jack, I need you to take me to Wonderland." Alice put her hand on his arm. "Some men took Hatter thru the Looking Glass. He's hurt. Please help me"

"I wanted to tell you. Caterpillar said you would never believe me." Jack looked out the window, ignoring her hand. "You wouldn't have either. I do love you, Alice. You must believe me"

"Jack! Listen to me!." Alice took the drink out of his hand and punched his arm to get his attention. "I have to go to Wonderland."

"Did you ever love me Alice?" He looked down at her. "Did you care for me at all?"

"I…Yes, I ….thought so" Alice sets his glass on the window sill. "I need you take me to Wonderland. Right now."

"Wonderland? Why would I take you to Wonderland." He laughs and shakes his head trying to clear it.

"Jack." Alice stopped not knowing what else to say. "Hatter is hurt and I have to find him."

"Him!" Jack stood up straight and sneered "Tell me I have no reason to be jealous. Tell me that!" He slumped again. "You were going to kiss him. You ran off to the forest with the first scruffy nobody you met"

"I told you I'd changed. I wanted something else. And I was trying to get you out of the casino… at first" Alice said holding the scream inside.

"He can go to.…to.…he can go someplace." Jack pulled away from her and flopped down on the couch. He looked around for the drink he had just a minute ago.

"Jack what's wrong with you? Are you drunk?" Alice sat on the opposite sofa, skirts flounced up around her. Jack's attention was caught by the crystals flickering in the lamplight.

"I've seen that dress before." He squints at it. "I'm sure of it."

"Jack, please listen to me! I must go to Wonderland. Tonight."

Jack looks up at her face. "Too late to go anywhere tonight. In the morning maybe."

"Jack I need to go now. Who knows how much time has passed!" Alice jumped up and paced around the room. "Jack if you ever cared for me, please do this."

"It's not like you've never stayed here before."

"No! Take me now or I'm leaving. Take me to Wonderland Jack or I will never speak to you again!" Alice stomped her foot.

He laughed. "It's so cute when you do that." He lounged back on the sofa. "Alice, Alice." He laughed again watching her. "What happened to my drink?"

Alice growled and went towards the bathroom. How could she still look so beautiful when her insides were screaming?. She saw some blood on her fingers from the bowtie. She stared at a long time before washing it off. When she came back to the living room, Jack was asleep on the couch.

Taking a deep breath, she held the scream inside. Alice checked both his hands to see if by chance he had the ring on. No such luck. Not in his pants pockets either. She ran to the bedroom and searched as fast as she could. Not finding it, Alice went back to the living room and threw the beaded purse hitting Jack in the face. He woke up and stared at it.

"Jack what is wrong with you?" She paced back and forth some more.

"My head hurts. Alice? What are you doing here?"

Alice cried out in rage and plopped down on the couch beside Jack. Who immediately turned and put his arms around her, kissing her face over and over.

"I knew you'd come. Knew you loved me."

Alice pushed at him and twisted around to avoid his kisses. "Alice darling, hold still." His arms tightened around her. Suddenly Jack found himself on the floor looking up at an angry Alice. "Alice? That hurt."

"Later. Right now we're going to Wonderland. Where's your jacket?" Alice jumped up went to get his red jacket and tie. "Get up Jack. It's time to go." She held out her hand to him. He shook his head and frowned, but stood and took the jacket. He quickly buttoned his shirt and put on the tie.

"Wonderland? You want to go to Wonderland?" He smiled. "That's a wedding dress isn't it?" Putting on the jacket, he handed Alice the beaded purse. Jack took a cellphone out of his pocket and sent a quick text to his Suits.

He kept his hand on her back all the way down the elevator and out the doors. Alice ran out to wave down a cab while Jack spoke to the doorman. "Wish me happy Rogers. Miss Hamilton and I are getting married." Jack grinned. "Leaving for Vegas right now."

The cab took forever to get across town and it was very late when they got out and walked up to the Looking Glass. Jack pulled her back and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so happy Alice." She twisted out of his arms and glanced up at the ceiling to see if Ferret was there. He was. She couldn't see his eyes, but knew they were accusing.

"Hurry Jack, it's late." Alice pulled him towards the Looking Glass. "We don't have much time." He stepped partly thru holding tightly to her hand. When her hand was thru, she turned to look up at Ferret. "I'm going to get Hatter." And she was gone.

Ferret sighed and jumped down. He reached up to tap the top left corner of the frame twice. Counted to twenty and stepped thru.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

DREAMS

It was late evening in Wonderland when Jack and Alice stepped thru the Looking Glass. The Minister of Clubs and several Suits were waiting. A few weeks had passed in Wonderland, long enough for a new Palace to be furnished.

"A scarab is outside waiting to take you to the Palace, sir." The Minister bowed. Jack smiled at him and said thank you.

"Someone hurt Hatter and brought him back. We need to find out where he is!" Alice told the Minister who looked at Jack in question.

Jack stared at the Minister for a long second, then nodded his head briefly. "Report to me in an hour." Jack led Alice out and into the scarab.

"You'll like the new Palace. It's high enough to see the whole city." He chatted.

Alice stared out at Wonderland City. Memories of Hatter filled her mind. The city seemed less deserted than last time. She imagined all the refugees were out of the Great Library. She hoped she wouldn't have to see Dodo again.

"We'll have a late supper, then I want to introduce you to all my friends."

"Jack I didn't come here for a party! Hatter is hurt, I have to find him." Alice frowned at Jack and the Suits behind them.

"Alice, the Suits will find him. Don't worry." Jack patted her hand. Alice just looked at him in amazement. The Suits hadn't been able to find her or Hatter without Mad March. She shivered and hoped his body hadn't been found and put in the deep freeze again. Who knows what kind of head they'd put on him this time.

At the new Palace, Jack took Alice to a small anteroom to wait. She could see members of the court staring and whispering behind their hands as they walked thru the main rooms. The Duchess was bound to turn up sooner or later. Alice smiled sourly.

"Darling, will you wait here while I meet with my people? I've been gone a bit and I'm sure there's lot of things I need to check on."

"Hatter! That's the most important thing!" Alice called after him. She looked around. There were a lot of red accents, but not the bright cherry red his mother had favored.

Getting impatient, Alice went to find Jack and found the door hadn't closed completely. She could hear voices whispering outside, walking away.

"…escaped again…..smashed…."

" ….chains….. did …. get it.?"

"….not too….careful…..sir."

"…worry…..wedding…."

"…sir….."

"see to….."

"….Alice…"

"…sir"

When Alice couldn't hear anything else she pushed the door all the way open and looked out. No one in sight. She wasted only a minute trying to decipher the whispers. She had to find a way out of this Palace and to Charlie. He would be able to find Hatter using his black arts. Or maybe she should look for dungeons first?

Biting her lip Alice looked around, trying to figure out how to escape without going back the way she'd come. She started down one hallway but seeing the Duchess striding towards her, she ran back and tried another hallway.

She stopped at each crossing, peeking around the corner before going on.

"Here you are darling," Jack had come up from behind her and taken her arm. "Miss me? Come along, dinner's ready." He turned her around and led her to a large dining room. The table was big enough to sit 20 people, but only two places were set.

"I'm not really hungry Jack. Did you find out about Hatter?" Alice sat down impatiently. Actually she was hungry. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten.

"Yes. It seems Dodo and some of his Resistance goons have him. We should have the location and get him back soon enough." Jack smiled as servers brought in several dishes covered in silver. "Mmmm. That smells good. I'm hungry for some reason."

"Dodo?" Alice thought this over. It didn't sound likely and yet…

"Yes, it seems he brought charges against …him for attempted murder. I guess when he found he'd gone to your world, Dodo went after him." Jack shrugged taking a bite.

"Shot him? Hatter didn't shoot Dodo! Dodo shot Hatter! Dodo was going to shoot me to get the ring!" Alice lifted the cover off her plate. It did smell good. She thought she should eat a little while she could.

Jack put his fork down. "Do I hear you right Alice? Dodo tried to shoot you?" he frowned.

"Yes. But Hatter stepped between me and the gun and he was shot instead." Alice took a small bite. She didn't recognize the food.

The Minister of Clubs came in with two silver goblets on a tray. He held it out to Jack with a flourish. "Majesty"

Alice was looking down and didn't see the slight nod when Jack took one of them.

Jack handed it to Alice and took the other.

"Darling, drink a toast with me." Jack raised his goblet.

"Jack this is wasting time." Alice raised her goblet to touch his. "What are we toasting?"

"To a quick end to the missing …Hatter." Jack smiled. The Minister bowed himself out.

Alice drank and then decided that didn't sound quite right. But something was wrong, very wrong. She was dizzy and …..

"Jack? What have you done to me?" Alice slid down in the chair and the goblet dropped from her fingers. Her eyes were open but she didn't see anything.

Jack quickly scooped her up and carried her from the room. The Minister waited outside.

"Did you find her something else to wear?" Jack asks him.

The Minister nods "I put several dresses in your suite majesty." He had to run to keep up with Jack.

"How long will the effect last? She has to be able to function." Jack waited while the Minister unlocked the door and opened it.

"Majesty, we're not sure. Carpenter made it as a spray for the Oysters. No one has ever drank it before. But I would suggest a lesser dose next time. She won't remember anything for very long."

"I don't want her harmed. The wedding will be in a few days, if she has recovered enough by then." He laid Alice gently on his bed. She lay there unmoving, staring at the ceiling while he adjusted her skirts.

"Sir, there isn't enough left to keep her out for ….for even a couple weeks." The Minister gestured. "You're gonna have to cut down on the dosage."

Jack stopped and looked at the Minister. His voice was hard. "Then find someone who can make more. Once she forgets him, she will be happy to be Queen." He smoothed Alice's hair. "My Queen."

The Minister bowed and backed out of the room. Jack locked the door and went to the wardrobe. Inside were several dresses and a long flowing nightgown in red. He chose the nightgown and went back to Alice.

"Darling, it's time for bed. Let me help you out of that dress." He lifted her up and slipped the jacket off her arms. He saw the ribbon tied around her wrist and swore. His hand went to his pocket and the tangle of ribbons there. He squeezed them as if he could mash them into nothing. Laying her back down, he went to search drawers for a pair of scissors or a knife. When he found something to cut the ribbon with, he lifted her wrist. As the cold steel touched her skin, Alice stirred, jerking her hand back.

"Uggh!"

He dropped her hand in surprise. Still staring into space, Alice cupped her other hand over the ribbon. Her mouth barely moved and only wordless cries came out.

Jack tried to get her wrist again, but Alice cried out louder. Jack sighed and sat on the bed. When she was quiet again, Jack finished getting her out of the dress and into the red nightgown. Tomorrow he would find a bracelet to cover the ribbon so he didn't have to look at it. Jack stood to remove his jacket and tie. Pulling the silk coverlet over them both, he pulled her tight against him. "This is where you belong, Alice."

Sometime before dawn he woke and found Alice gone. Jack jumped out of bed and ran to the door but it was still locked. He looked around and saw Alice sitting on the window seat staring out at the stars. He breathed a sigh of relief and went to her.

"Darling, come back to bed." He took her hands. They were cold. She wasn't supposed to wake so quickly.

"So pretty." She pointed to the stars. "Jack?" Alice twisted the ribbon on her wrist.

"Come back to bed where it's warm." Jack carried her back to bed.

"Did you find it?" she murmured sleepily.

"Find what?" He pulled her close again and his arm wound around her waist.

"It's lost."

Jack listened till her breathing became even and tried to go back to sleep. Soon she wouldn't remember at all. He would get that ribbon off her wrist. Everything was going well.

In the morning, she was almost able to dress herself and he found a large gold bangle to cover the ribbon for now. Her eyes were still blank, but she would answer when spoken to and could sit and walk. He wondered if he would have to feed her. Better have breakfast sent to his rooms.

In the throne room he announced to the court that Alice had come back to be Queen. He pretended not to hear the murmurs and whispers. The Duchess stared at him with a frozen face, then stood and stalked out, not even bowing. Alice sat in the smaller throne and smiled into space.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

LOST AND FORGOTTEN

Hatter woke with a groan. One eye was swollen shut. He opened the other one and stared at dirt. He sat up and found ends of a rope still tied to his hands. Someone had cut the rope. His feet were still chained together. He rubbed his head, another lump. Someone had taken his tux jacket and several buttons were missing from the shirt which was quite dirty and stained with blood.

Of course it wasn't all his blood, he smiled. "Ow!" He licked his cut lip. His mouth was dry. Hatter was hungry and thirsty. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten.

Hatter looked around and around. He was in a small round brick room with no doors. He looked up to see a small circle of light. A well. Someone had chucked him down a well.

"Hey!" He shouted. Not much of a shout since he was hoarse. "Hey up there!"

A silhouette looked down. He knew that head.

"You!" Hatter spit. "I might have known. Where's Alice?"

The silhouette didn't speak. Just stared a minute. Then something dropped down to Hatter who picked it up and held it tightly. It was a circlet of dead flowers and ribbons.

"No! NO!" He tried to stand and slipped back down.

The silhouette disappeared and Hatter saw a basket lowered over the side.

"I'm going to kill you!" Hatter promised. "I'm going to smash in your head!"

The basket landed on the bottom and Hatter reached for it. A jerk on the rope from the top and it started back up. He tipped the basket and out rolled several bottles, a tin and a bucket. He could imagine what the bucket was for. He opened the tin and found flatbread crackers inside.

A wooden lid dropped over the top of the well. A hole in the middle let in a very little light.

There was barely enough light to read the label on the bottles. But he would know those colors anywhere. FORGET. FORGET and DESPAIR.

With a cry of rage, Hatter smashed a bottle against the brick wall.

Much later, with a sigh, Hatter picked up a bottle and twisted off the cap.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

IN THE DARKNESS

Time was a blur for Alice. She didn't know if it was day or night. When Jack went to sleep, she would sit at the window and stare at the stars rubbing the ribbon on her wrist. She knew she had lost something, something important, but she couldn't remember what. Couldn't remember anything.

One night Jack was gone when she woke. It was very late. She couldn't see the clock. Alice giggled and whispered, "the clockworks not ticking properly." No matter, she didn't need Jack to see the stars.

When the door opened she didn't even look around. Jack would carry her back to bed for awhile, till he fell asleep and she would get up and look at the stars again. They reminded her of something. Something important.

"Alice?" Someone whispered walking toward the bed. "Alice? Where are you?"

Alice turned slightly to see who this was coming into their room in the middle of the night. It was the Duchess. Alice knew the Duchess didn't like her much. Glared at her all the time.

The Duchess looked around and saw Alice watching her. She turned on a small light and unlocked the wardrobe and began digging around inside.

"Is it in there?" Alice asked getting up to see.

"Is what in here?" The Duchess said pulling out one white boot.

"I lost it." Alice sat down on the bed staring at the boot. "Is that it?"

"Here, drink this." The Duchess handed her a vial of dark liquid. Alice shook her head Jumping up, she backed away. The Duchess mumbled under her breath and stood up following Alice.

"If you drink it, you will remember where it is." The Duchess held out the vial.

"I will?" Alice looked at the vial. The Duchess counted to ten. Stupid Oysters.

"Ok." Alice took the vial and pried out the cork. She looked at the Duchess and at the vial and then drank it. The Duchess went back to digging in the wardrobe. Another boot with a beaded purse inside was tossed out. When she pulled out the white dress Alice gave a wordless cry and grabbed it. Her head was pounding and she sat on the bed clutching the dress tightly.

"Starting to remember?" The Duchess looked at her. "There's a little jacket too, I think" Finally she found it. "I don't imagine the circlet is here anymore, the flowers would have died a long time ago." The Duchess dusted off her hands and stood.

Suddenly she was flat on her back on the floor with an angry Alice sitting on her chest.

"What did you do to me?" Alice demanded twisting the Duchess's arm. The Duchess cried out and said "I'm trying to help you!"

Alice laughed and said "How? Poisoning me? Why would you help me?"

"I couldn't get here before now. Jack has gone out with his Suits. I bribed a guard to for his keys. It took a lot of bribes to get here. Get off me, I'm a Duchess."

Alice looked around and frowned. "Where am I? How did I get here? Where's Jack?"

"You better get dressed while you're remembering. We don't have a lot of time." The Duchess ordered.

Alice shook her head some more, got up and watched the Duchess stand. She saw the wedding dress and cried out. "My dress!" Alice looked down to see herself in the red nightgown, she pulled it over her head and stepped into the dress. The Duchess zipped her quickly.

"Jack gave you some of the spray they used on the Oysters in the Casino."

"Jack wouldn't do that, he's a perfect gentleman!" Alice slipped on the boots. Hatter! "Where's Hatter! Did Jack find him?"

"Find him? Yes he found him." The Duchess laughed. "He found him all right"

"Where is he? Is he ok?" Alice was going to shake the Duchess.

"I don't know. That's where he went tonight, I think. He took a lot of Suits." The Duchess explained. "You need to get out of the Palace."

"He went to get Hatter? Why in the middle of the night? Is Hatter ok?"

"Look Alice, you've been here for almost a week. Come on, we need to go now."

"A week? Oh no, Jack wouldn't…Why would you help me?" Alice asked her pulling on the jacket. She put the beaded purse over her shoulder.

"I'm the only one going to be Queen around here!"

"I'm not going to be Queen. I'm not marrying Jack!" Alice protested.

"How much of the last week do you remember?" The Duchess asked. "Your wedding will be in two days. Unless you shut up and hurry up"

"I don't believe you."

"Look around. Who's rooms do you think these are? Who do you think... never mind." The Duchess shook her head and opened the door and peeked out. She motioned Alice out into the hall and locked the door carefully behind them.

"A week! No! It can't…. no!"

"Shhh keep your voice down!" The Duchess whispered walking away from Alice "Come on if you want to see your precious Hatter again."

"Jack said Dodo had taken Hatter and …" Alice frowned. Not everything was clear yet.

"Dodo?" The Duchess laughed. "Dodo has been locked up since you told Jack he tried to shoot you. I don't think he'll live long"

"But…Jack lied to me?" Alice asked following her down hallway after hallway, up this staircase and down that one.

"Yes. But it's not his fault." The Duchess stopped and began fingering the molding on one wall. A door opened silently and she stepped inside.

"You're lying. Jack wouldn't do those things. He wouldn't hurt Hatter, he wouldn't drug me, he wouldn't lie." Alice stepped into the wall and then wondered if this was a big mistake, following the Duchess into the darkness in the middle of the night.

"Do you love Jack?" The Duchess asked. She took Alice's hand and led her away, down a twisting stairway that went on and on.

'Of course not. I love Hatter." Alice held onto the railing tightly.

"Then why did you show up here in a wedding dress?" The stairs went on and on.

"Because I was going to marry Hatter. Till someone took him. Jack brought me thru the Looking Glass to find him. "

"Jack took him. Had his Suits do it."

"I don't believe you."

The Duchess stopped on the stairs. "Do you want to ask Dodo? I imagine he can talk…some." She turned to look at Alice.

"Yes." Alice wished she could see the expression on her face. "Jack wouldn't do those things."

The Duchess let go of Alice's hand and started feeling along the wall. A tiny click and a door popped open. Starlight came in and the Duchess pulled Alice's hand. Alice looked to see how close they were to the ledge before going thru the doorway. Not too far. She stepped out.

"I'll take you to see Dodo and then you're on your own. Just get out of here before Jack comes back. And it's not his fault, it's mine." The Duchess looked around and started walking. Like all of the city dwellers she had no fear of narrow ledges.

"What do you mean it's your fault?" Alice pulled the Duchess around to look at her.

"I …I wanted Jack to love me. He didn't, not even after you left. He just brooded. So I… I gave him a love potion." The Duchess pulled her arm back and rubbed it.

"A love potion? Are you kidding?" Alice shook her head.

"Tea. There's plenty left in the Tea Shop. LOVE and JEALOUSY and LUST. I bribed a Suit to put it in his food. I didn't realize the stupid man would keep giving it to Jack when he went to your world."

"You gave Jack Tea? What's wrong with you people?"

"I would do anything to make Jack love me." The Duchess turned and started walking. "Hurry up, it will be dawn soon"

"You can't make Jack love you." Alice said following her slowly. "When he comes back, take him to the Hospital of Dreams. Maybe they can get it out of his system. I dunno if he'll forgive you though."

"I already thought of that. I…." The Duchess crumbled into a heap.

Alice lifted her hands, but heard nothing. She turned to put her back to the wall, but suddenly a hand was tight over her mouth and one around her waist and she was dragged thru a doorway. She fought, but couldn't get loose.

"There she is!" She heard voices and lights flickering out on the ledge. "I see her!" "Where's Jack's Oyster!" Alice was pulled deeper into the darkness.

_Thanks for all your kind reviews. I love hearing from people who LOVE Hatter. This is for those of you who can't bear to leave them stranded. Well Alice anyway. But knowing Hatter, he's not still sitting in the bottom of a well eating crackers and drinking TEA. He's doing something constructive..._


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

SIT AND WAIT

The police wouldn't let Carol file a missing person's report until Monday morning. someone called her late in the afternoon.

By Sunday morning Carol had called Jack's apartment a thousand times. She'd found Alice's cell phone on the table. There was no number in there for David or Hatter. She'd even walked back down to the park and found it bare. Not a trace of the party remained.

She never had gotten Glenna's last name or anyone else's from the party.

The policeman asked if she had any more information than what was on the form. No. she hadn't. He said a detective would call tomorrow with any results. Carol spent a sleepless night staring out the window. First Robert and now Alice. She couldn't take it anymore.

On Tuesday, Carol wandered around the loft, staring at their things, waiting for the detective to call. He showed up a little after noon.

"Hello Carol." he filled the doorway. Tall and familiar and safe.

Carol stared at him in surprise. "Frankie? I didn't know you were a detective?"

"Yeah, few years now. I …I asked for this case when your name came through."

"Have you found Alice?" She motioned him inside.

"No, but I do have some questions I need your help with." He came in and stood looking down at her. "I know you're upset, but it would really help. It's good to see you."

Carol nodded and motioned him to sit on the sofa.

"Thanks." He nodded and opened the folder in his hand. "No one claims to have seen Alice after she left the party. No one has used her credit cards. We did find a cabbie who reportedly dropped someone fitting her description at the building where Jack Chase has several condos on the top floor. Not too many girls running around in a wedding dress."

"Jack Chase is very puzzling. He also goes by the name of Jack Heart. He has a past, a very expensive false identity." The detective looked at Carol who was staring at him with her mouth open, shaking her head.

"Jack was a fake? He seemed so nice. Alice had been seeing him for almost a couple months. Were you able to find anything on David?"

"We ran a search on David and found only one thing. And that was very recent. He doesn't exist. There was nothing under the alias, Hatter."

Carol bit her lip. She knew it. He was a fake. "We were at an engagement party last night in the park. They said David was mugged. Lucas … I thought Lucas called the police. He promised Alice he would find him. Is this some kind of gang thing?"

"You don't have Lucas's last name? It doesn't look like a gang thing." Frank made notes on the file. "There was no police report of a mugging filed in that area last night. And none anywhere for David" Frank shook his head. "I'm sorry Carol."

"Frankie, I just don't understand any of this. Jack came for dinner Friday night and Alice was all excited about me meeting him. Then he offered her a ring and she made him leave. Then David found her unconscious in an abandoned building. And the very next day they both shows up and argue over her. Next thing I know she's having an engagement party. It makes no sense."

"There's no telling with kids anymore." Frank shook his head, "are you sure there's nothing else?"

"Wait, Lucas said he was David's cousin!" Carol remembered

"Ok. I'll check that out." Frank smiled.

"The doorman comes on duty soon and I'll be talking with him. It's possible that he'll remember Alice if as you say she was dressed in a wedding gown and had flowers in her hair. Do you have a recent picture?"

"Yes." Carol handed him a couple 5x7 photos of Alice in the wedding gown she had taken when the boxes first arrived. "I printed these out for you."

"She's very pretty. Don't worry, Carol, I'll do my best to find your daughter." He smiled at her. He was still a nice looking man with very gentle brown eyes.

"Thank you. She's all I have."

"Ok. One piece of information on David is a deed to a warehouse not far from here. It was signed on Saturday and recorded on Monday." Frank watched Carol closely. "It was immediately signed over to Alice."

"What? What do you mean?" Carol shook her head.

"David bought a warehouse and signed the deed over to your daughter."

Carol stood and paced the room "Why would he do that? What kind of warehouse?"

"I hoped you might know. I'm stopping by there when I leave here." Frank stood.

"I want to go with you. I … need to see this. I just don't understand." Carol stood and faced him.

"Carol, that's not a good idea. I will let you know as soon as I know something." He smiled at her.

"This is my daughter, and I'm sorry Frankie, but she's just another case to you."

"Your daughter is not just another case to me Carol. She might have been my daughter you know." He touched her shoulder. Carol's face crumpled and she bit her lip to keep from crying.

"It's good to see you again, Frankie. How's Marilyn?"

"She died a few years back. And Robert? Why isn't he here?"

"He disappeared about ten years ago. Not a word since." Tears spilled out of her eyes and rolled down her face. Frank pulled her into his arms.

"Carol. Carol. Don't cry. I'll find her." He promised holding her.

Carol pulled out of his arms, under control again. "Thank you Frankie, but I am coming with you to this warehouse. And to see the doorman."

Frank sighed. He had never been able to refuse Carol anything. He made a note to start searching for Robert. He wasn't certain what he would do when he found him….but find him he would.

"Ok, but I want to go on the record that this is a bad idea." Frank smiled at her.

"Thank you Frankie. You know I appreciate it. She's my baby." Carol put on her jacket and grabbed her purse.

Frank opened the door. One good thing, he was sure he could get her to eat dinner afterward. They could talk over the case. And lots of other things.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

CAMP OUT

When the lights had gone and the silence settled deep into the darkness, Alice heard a whispered shhhhh and the hands let her go. He'd held her motionless for what seemed like forever. Not that she had wanted to escape and be captured with an unconscious Duchess.

Alice twisted around and tried to see who he was. "Who are you?" she whispered.

The darkness was complete. A tiny penlight appeared and she could barely see the hand that held it. The hand slipped into a pocket and pulled something blue half out of the pocket. A blue bowtie.

"Ferret!"

"Shhhh" he warned louder and turned to leave. Alice sighed and followed the tiny light. Catching up to him she clutched at his sleeve. "I can't see and I'm afraid I'll fall off a ledge." He stopped and looked around at her. Then walked on, letting her hold his sleeve.

They walked a long time before venturing outside. Dawn was just starting to brighten the sky. Ferret looked around trying to see where they were.

Alice let go of his sleeve and sat down on the grass. He shook his head and motioned her to come on. She just looked at him. He waved at the sky. Alice didn't move. With a sigh Ferret sat down facing her, his back to the ledge.

Out of another pocket, Ferret took a handful of gold coins and stacked them up in front of Alice. He motioned for her to take them. She shook her head. Ferret sighed and said "Hatter's." And pushed the stack closer to her.

"These are Hatter's?" Alice looked at him and then reached for the coins at his nod. "Where did you get them?" She picked one up and examined it. A unicorn on one side and a heart on the other.

Ferret shrugged. "Hatter."

Alice stuffed the coins inside the beaded purse. She would have to ask Hatter himself.

"We have to find Charlie so he can find Hatter. Unless," She looked at him closely, "You've already found him?"

Ferret shook his head.

"I guess it's no use asking how you found me." Alice sighed as he grinned and shook his head.

"Ok which way to the Kingdom of the Knights?" Alice stood and shook her skirts out. This dress couldn't be ruined; she must NOT fall into the lake this time.

Ferret shook his head no and frowned. "Home"

Alice stared at him. "You think I am going back to my world and leave Hatter here?" she laughed softly, "then you are greatly mistaken"

He nodded his head yes and reached for her hand.

She pulled her arm back and shook her head, "No! I am not leaving here without Hatter." Alice looked around. No river or lake in sight. She would have to guess. Eeny Meeny Miny. She started walking. Mo was off the ledge.

Ferret grabbed her arm and swung her around. "Home!" he shook his head hard enough that his hair swung out. "Home!"

Alice pulled her arm away and looked at him. "Look, you wanna go home, go. I'm going to find Hatter." She started walking again. Ferret grabbed her arm again and stopped her. He rolled his eyes and sighed. He shrugged.

"It's ok. You can go home if you're scared." She smiled at him. "This is a dangerous place."

Ferret looked shocked and let go of her arm. He frowned and shook his head. Pointed in a different direction.

"That's the way to the Kingdom of the Knights?" Alice asked looking in that direction. She shrugged. One direction was as good as another.

He started to shrug then grinned and nodded. Alice figured he was lying but she would have to get higher up to see where the lake was and she didn't want to do that yet.

"You know I'm a black belt, right?"

Ferret lifted his eyebrows. Then dipped his head to the right and back up. That was a so-what – see if you can catch me look if Alice ever saw one.

"Fine. Lead on." She waved him on.

They walked from building to building, being outside as little as possible. When they slipped into a long, low building, Ferret ran up the staircase, watching to make sure Alice was behind him. He had to stop and wait on her long before they reached the top.

Ferret looked around carefully before stepping outside. He motioned Alice out and ran to one side where thick heavy plastic covered a pile of objects. Flying flamingos. Alice groaned. No No and no.

"You're crazy if you think I'm getting on one of those." Alice shook her head.

Ferret grinned and waved his arm wide to show it was far away and a long walk to the Kingdom of the Knights.

"Couldn't you find a boat or something? Hatter had a boat." Alice asked looking at the Flamingos.

Ferret shook his head and looked up at the light. It was definitely morning and there would probably be Suits coming here. Alice dipped her head back and looked at the sky, "Why me?" she asked and walked to the flamingos.

Ferret was already on one and grinning madly. Alice sighed and got on the other one he had uncovered trying to arrange her skirts so they wouldn't fly up in her face. "Do you know how to fly this thing?"

For an answer Ferret pushed the button and Alice watched him fly up and away. She pushed her own button and held on tight aiming in the direction Ferret had gone. When she caught up with him, Ferret was flying in loop-de-loops and giant circles, still grinning madly, his hair flying out behind him. Alice shuddered and looked away, her own flamingo leaning wildly. She gasped and straightened back up watching him out of the corner of her eye. He had rolled over and was flying upside down. She heard him laughing over the noise.

They were high enough to see the forest now so Alice leaned to turn that way. Ferret had righted himself and was flying circles around her. She smiled at him and shook her head. She wished she'd asked if he knew how to land the thing.

Suddenly he flew directly in front of her waving behind them. Alice looked over her shoulder and saw tiny black dots in the sky. Aces were coming. She pointed down towards the forest and they dipped and were in the trees. Alice wondered if it was better to be high and crash in the treetops and fall to the ground, or be low and take the chance of crashing into a tree trunk. Naturally Ferret zoomed in and around the trees. She frowned at him. It wasn't long before Alice clipped a tree and spun out of control. Terrified of hitting a tree, she let go and fell to the ground.

Ferret zoomed back and landed perfectly beside her. Her own flamingo hit a tree with a loud boom. Ferret jumped off and ran to help her sit up. Alice moaned and held her head. At least she hadn't fallen in the lake.

Ferret urged her to her feet, waving at the sky. They could hear the Aces' flamingos. Alice stumbled and fell. Ferret dragged her up and pointed to his flamingo. Alice shook her head no and waved at the trees. Off in the distance, the Jabberwock bellowed. Ferret's eyes got big and he drug her to his flamingo and Alice got on. This time there was no Hatter to save her from the Jabberwock.

Ferret flew between the tree trunks while Alice held on. He was much skinner than Hatter and his shoulders weren't big enough to shield her face. She kept her eyes squeezed shut and her face down as much as possible.

Neither of them had a clue of where to find the Kingdom of the Knights and when they couldn't hear the Aces or the Jabberwock, Alice squeezed Ferret's shoulder and pointed up. He flew up and they circled around looking for the giant carved rocks that surrounded the Kingdom of the Knights. Thinking she saw something white in the distance, Alice pointed but suddenly the flamingo started to sputter.

Ferret aimed down and they dropped out of the sky and back into the trees. She tried to watch and see how he landed, but she couldn't tell that he'd done anything different from her, except she'd crashed.

"Well." She said when they were on the ground again. "Now I guess we walk." Alice sighed and wished she'd gone home and changed clothes before this trip. Next time she would have more sense. Maybe.

Ferret looked around.

"Do you have anything to eat in any of those pockets?" Alice asked him "I'm starving."

Ferret patted his pockets and came up with a snickers bar. He handed it to her. Alice broke it in half and gave half back. Ferret looked at it and put it back in his pocket. Alice ate the snickers slowly, savoring the taste.

They walked until it was almost dark, drinking from a stream. Alice hoped Wonderland water wasn't as polluted as earth water. But she was too thirsty to worry about it then. They walked on, following the stream.

Finally Alice stopped. "I can't walk anymore. We'll have to make camp here. Gather some wood for a fire." Alice looked around for some ferns or something to make a bed out of. Something soft to sleep on. She knew they should probably sleep in a tree, but she couldn't see herself climbing one in this dress and besides, she'd fall out the minute she fell asleep.

Ferret picked up a handful of sticks and dumped them in front of Alice.

"That's not enough." She sighed. "Ok you start a fire and I'll get more wood."

Ferret stared at her and then looked at the wood and back at her. He shrugged.

"Let me guess. You don't know how to make a fire?"

Ferret shook his head no. Alice sighed. She didn't either.

"Well isn't this great?" Alice carried the ferns over to some trees that grew close together in a sort of semi circle. At least nothing could come from them from one side.

"Do you think you could find us something to eat?" Alice asked arranging her skirts on the ferns afraid to look for bugs.

Ferret looked around at the trees and the rocks and the dirt and grinned. He reached for the half of snickers he'd put in his pocket earlier and handed it to Alice. She sighed and broke it in half again and gave him back the biggest piece. He absently put it in his pocket while Alice took tiny bites of her piece trying to make it last.

They sat there against the trees, watching the darkness grow and listening to the night sounds. Ferret sat very close to Alice twitching at each noise.

"Guess you're a city boy?" Alice whispered. "Me too." She was afraid to make much noise, afraid of attracting something to them. Finally, they both fell asleep.

Much later Alice woke to a loud thwunk and much cursing. Ferret stood with slingshot in hand staring up at a vision in white.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

STORY TIME

"We'll stop at the warehouse first. It's not too far." Frank said as they got in his car. Carol nodded. Nothing made sense. How could a construction worker afford to buy a warehouse and why would he give it to Alice?

Frank called in the information on Lucas and told them to call back when they had an address. The warehouse was on the waterfront and workers were everywhere. Frank stopped someone and asked who was in charge. The guy pointed to a short, bald man unloading white leather furniture.

"Excuse me. I understand you're in charge here." Frank said to him

"Yeah? What's it to ya?" He looked at Frank over the back of the chair. "You a cop?"

"Detective Frank Brown. I have some questions if you have a minute."

"I ain't got no minutes. We're on a schedule here." The man walked towards the warehouse carrying the chair. Frank and Carol followed.

"Please sir," Carol touched his arm. He stopped and looked at her for the first time.

"Mrs. Hamilton? Alice's mom?" he sat the chair down and held out his hand. "What can I do for ya?"

Carol looked at him and shook his hand. She glanced at Frank.

"Ya probly don't 'member me." He laughed. "I was at the party Saturday night. Alice's party."

"Oh, of course." Carol looked at Frank and shrugged. "I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you."

"So ya come ta see the Club? It's gonna be something. Alice here?" He looked around.

"No. That's why we're here. Alice has been missing since the party Saturday night. We thought you might have some information on her or David." Carol said.

"We also have questions about this warehouse. What kind of club?" the man ignored Frank and frowned at Carol.

"Whatdaya mean missing? We heard 'bout Hatter, but nuttin 'bout Alice. What happened? Come 'n and sit down." He led Carol into the warehouse. Frank sighed and followed.

"How did David get the money to buy this and why is it in Alice's name?" Frank asked catching up with them.

The man cleared a table and wiped off a chair for Carol to sit on. She could see it was being decorated as a night club. With a playing card theme.

"Alice left after we found out David had been mugged. She was supposed to be going home, but she never made it. I imagine she went to look for David."

The man shook his head. "Ought not have done that." He wiped his forehead with a red handkerchief. "We'll look into it." He promised. "We'll find her."

"Can you… can you please answer Frank's questions." Carol smiled at him.

The man sighed and looked at Frank. Talk to a cop? He sighed again.

"Hatter din't buy it. A gift. To Alice. Everything is." He waved his hand around. "It's all for Alice."

Carol looked around. "But why? Why would someone do that?"

"Who's paying you? Lucas?" Frank asked. "Union workers don't work for nothing."

"Nobody paying us." The man frowned at Frank. "Told ya it was for Alice." He turned back to Carol. "Ya wanna see the apartment? It's real purty" He stood and pointed to the other end of the building. "Back there by the water"

Carol stood and looked at Frank. This made even less sense. Why would they do all this for Alice? Or David?

A portion of the back had been walled off. He led them thru a door into a spacious room that was more atrium than anything. Glass lined the two-story wall that faced the water. Large trees had been set in pots and flowers were everywhere. A square section was filled with dirt, rolls of sod waiting to be laid. A woman was laying tile in the kitchen.

More men followed them in carrying the white leather furniture. Someone was up on a scaffold painting. Carol was starting to recognize faces from Saturday night.

"Nice huh? Hatter left instructions on exactly what he wanted." He laughed. "Said the garden had ta be on the ground. For Alice." He shook his head. "Rooftop garden woulda made more sense in the city."

Carol looked around and shook her head. "Alice is afraid of heights." She explained.

Alice knew about this? Meant to live here?

Frank's phone rang and he stepped aside to talk.

"Ya talked to Zwoop? He'll know." the man asked Carol softly. She thought he didn't want Frank to hear. "Go see Zwoop." He nodded.

After Frank hung up, he said he'd seen enough.

"Come on Carol. I've got the address. There's nothing else to learn here." Frank took Carol's arm and led her out. 

"Frankie, none of this makes any sense. Why would these people do this?" Carol waved her hand at the warehouse as they got back in the car. She could see the man they'd talked to gesturing at a group of men. They all turned to watch them drive away.

"I don't know." Frank headed for the freeway. "We don't have enough information yet."

"Are we going to the doorman now?" Carol asked looking around.

"No. I sent someone else to talk to the doorman. This cousin lives outside the city. It's gonna be a long drive. You want to find some music on the radio?"

"If this is a kidnapping, why wouldn't someone call about a ransom by now?" Carol asked Frank.

He sighed and looked at her. "I was afraid you were gonna think of that. It doesn't look like a kidnapping." Frank shook his head.

"Frankie, stop trying to protect me. I want the truth. Please don't lie to me." She put her hand on his arm.

He turned to glance at her. Traffic was heavy here. "I would never lie to you, Carol." His eyes squinched up when he smiled.

"Then tell me everything you know, everything you suspect." She demanded.

"I never make assumptions till I have all the evidence. You just worry over things that don't exist." He patted her hand. "After we talk to this cousin, we'll sit down and put the pieces together and see what we got." He promised.

Carol nodded. Lucas must have some answers. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She was so tired. Frank looked at her and smiled.

"That's right. Take a little nap. It's gonna be a while before we get there."

Carol was awakened by a long, low whistle. "Will you look at that?" Frank was peering out the windshield, thru decorative, white iron gates. Carol could only see red tile rooftops thru the trees.

Frank rolled down the window and pushed the button on the speaker.

"Yes?" a tinny voice answered.

"Detective Frank Brown. I'd like to speak to your boss."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No. This is police business." Frank sighed. Rich people were well insulated.

"Do you have a warrant?"

"No. I don't have a warrant! Do I have to go back and get one? A girl is missing!"

"Frank, let me." Carol leaned over. "Hello? This is Alice's mother, I need to speak to Lucas. Alice is missing."

"Well, why didn't you say so!" the gates swung open silently.

Frank looked sideways at Carol and wondered just who Alice had gotten mixed up with. He drove the car thru the gates and around a circular driveway in front of a large stone mansion. A very correct liveried butler came out to open the car door for Carol. Frank got out and followed them in.

The rooms were impossibly large and open, antiques everywhere. Frank saw a group of men and one woman in another room. Two of the men appeared to be generals in uniform and he was sure that guy in the red tie was a senator. One of them stood to look at the butler and started down the hall towards them. The butler nodded and went thru another doorway. Frank squinted at the man walking towards them. No, it couldn't be.

"Zwoop? David's cousin is Zwoop?" He laughed. "Why didn't you say so?"

Zwoop had reached them and held out both hands to Carol. "Carol, what a nice surprise."

"Such an honor to meet you Mr. Zwoop." Frank gushed. "Remember?" he turned to Carol, "he played in those movies? The ones like James Bond only different. Didn't he win the Masters a couple years ago? And the Grand Prix. You won the Grand Prix last year."

Zwoop smiled, "You forgot the rock band." Holding out his hand to Frank.

"Lucas, this is Detective Frank Brown." Carol introduced him. Men.

Zwoop's smile faded. "Really, Carol, you're welcome anytime, but did you have to drag along a policeman?" he shook his head.

"Lucas, Alice is missing! She's been missing since Saturday night."

Frank saw the hostility in Zwoop's eyes and straightened. Back to business. He sighed, so much for an autograph. The guys would never believe him.

Lucas took Carol's arm and led her into a room with a pair of dark leather sofas in front of a fireplace. There was a small fire burning.

Carol sat down and Frank sat down beside her. Zwoop leaned on the mantle, unconsciously striking a pose. He waved to the woman in the other room across from them. She got up and excused herself. Carol recognized her as one of the wives. She looked around for the other three, and saw them out on the terrace.

"Sasha, please tell the gentlemen, I'm sorry but we'll have to postpone our meeting. A family emergency." Zwoop smiled at her. She smiled at Carol and went back to usher the men out. They looked at Frank and Carol curiously, one general frowning ponderously at them. Sasha came back to sit on the opposite sofa.

"Is it possible the same people took Alice that took David?" Carol asked Zwoop who was looking thoughtful.

"There's been no ransom note." Frank said. He was getting tired of being ignored.

"I don't see how. Didn't Alice go home? I told her to go home." Zwoop waved one arm.

Everyone turned to look at Sasha who had burst out laughing. "Oh Zwoop! Do you really think Hatter would love a girl who was .. was obedient?" She laughed. "I'm sorry Carol, but you must understand. If Zwoop told her to go home, he fully expected Alice to do just that." Sasha smiled up at Zwoop.

"Alice has a mind of her own." Carol said proudly. "It gets her into trouble sometimes."

"Who are these people that took David? And why would your cousin, _your_ cousin, have no identity, no record?" Frank asked.

Zwoop sighed and looked at Carol. "I don't have much information. And what I do know, I don't know how much I can tell you." He studied his hands. "This information is strictly top secret and off the record." He glared at Frank.

"Lucas, please tell us what you know. I'm worried sick about Alice." Carol twisted her hands together.

Zwoop smiled at her. "Alice is one person you don't have to worry about, Hatter says she can take care of herself. OK." He sat on the sofa next to Sasha.

"Hatter is in special forces. Been undercover for years. Smuggling supplies to refugees and gathering intel."

"Black ops?" Frank nodded. "That would explain why he has no history."

Zwoop nods. "His background was carefully scrubbed by the government. "

Carol interrupted and said " But David had an English accent."

"True." Zwoop answered, "Hatter wasn't born here, but many Americans were taken by this foreign power and we believe Hatter was kidnapped when his cover was blown. It was blown when he saved Alice. That's how he met her. She was following up on a lead about her father. Carol, I'm sorry to say, I just found out they think a Robert Hamilton was taken by them a long time ago and killed. I was going to tell you later Carol. It could be your husband. I know it must be a shock"

Carol opened her mouth but nothing came out. Frank put his arm around her. She shrugged it off. Robert? Dead?

"Are you telling me Robert is dead? And these people killed him and took David and probably Alice?" she stood. "That's impossible! Alice wouldn't be mixed up with these people if it weren't for David." She covered her face with both hands.

Frank's phone rang and he stood and walked towards the door to speak quietly.

"Hatter saved her life more than once." Zwoop said softly.

"Alice would have told me." Carol insisted. "When did all this happen?"

"Alice was sworn never to speak of it. She couldn't tell you. And Hatter has many secrets that even Alice or I can never know. David is a hero. He was undercover for years, all alone out there helping them. We smuggled supplies to him, but he walked the tightrope between life and death every day." Zwoop said passionately.

Carol shook her head. "I don't care what she swore. Alice would have told me!"

Frank snapped his phone shut and joined them. "Ok one of the guys talked to the doorman. Alice was there very late Saturday night. She went up to visit Chase and then they left together. He told the doorman that they were eloping to Vegas. But there's no airline flight in either name. Or wedding license in Vegas."

"What!" Carol gasped. "I don't believe this!" she sat down heavily.

Zwoop and Sasha exchanged a glance.

"Jack Chase?" Zwoop asked Frank who nodded. "I see. That explains a lot" he sighed and kneeled down in front of Carol and took her hands. "I hadn't expected to hear back from my men this soon, but this changes things. I will go myself and bring Alice back. And Hatter." He squeezed her hands. "I promise."

"Everyone is promising a lot of things, but Alice is still missing." Carol snapped.

"Do you know Jack Chase?" Frank asked Zwoop.

"Yes. I .. I know him. He wouldn't hurt Alice. But he might have taken her to … to where Hatter is." Zwoop swore under his breath. "But surely he would know better."

"Jack would have done whatever ever Alice asked him to." Carol said. "He's in love with her. But very jealous of David."

Zwoop looked at her and frowned, shaking his head. Carol was looking at Frank.

"Alice would have said anything to get Jack to take her to David. She wouldn't listen to reason about him. It's like he's hypnotized her." Carol admitted.

"Is Jack Chase mixed up with this hostile government?" Frank asked. He was out of his depth here. "Exactly what government are we talking about anyway?"

Zwoop looked at him and finally nodded. "You know our government won't negotiate. So we… I will get them back. Carol, go home and I will let you know as soon as I have any information." Zwoop stood.

"Detective, I'm sure you understand this is out of your jurisdiction. This case is out of your hands." Zwoop lifted his chin. "Thank you for your efforts."

"Come on Carol. I don't think we're wanted here." Frank frowned at Zwoop who lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Please Carol. Go home and don't worry. I will bring Alice back." Zwoop insisted walking them to the door.

He and Sasha stood in the doorway and watched them drive away.

"That was such a lovely story, too bad it's a lie." Sasha smiled.

Zwoop grinned "Wasn't it though? Better than the other one we were working on. I think we'll keep it. Start laying a trail of bits and pieces. Hatter will need a background if he's gonna stay here. This one does have a lot of truth in it." He shut the door.

"See if you can contact any of the men. I'm going over today."

"Okay. You'll need some supplies." She pulled a small notebook out of her pocket and started making a list. "I want to come too." She looked up at him.

Zwoop stopped and looked at her. "I told you I would take you when it's safe. Apparently it's not safe yet. So, no, you can't come. None of you can come." He walked ahead.

Sasha looked after him and thought about Alice.

_AN: Sorry this is such a long chapter. These people wouldn't shut up. I appreciate all the reviews. Glad you like it._


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

BAIT

Charlie sat tall on the white charger frowning down at them. Another horse was tied behind him.

"Just Alice, I see you have acquired a new vassal." Charlie slowly dismounted and walked towards her. "What are you doing here sitting in the dark?"

"Charlie!" Alice ran to hug him. "I'm so glad to see you! We've been looking for you. How did you find us?"

"I've been hunting for your other vassal. He's in grave danger." Charlie hugged Alice and held the reins out to Ferret. "Here boy, tie up the horses." Ferret's eyes got big and he backed away, hands behind his back.

"Well I must say, Just Alice, at least the other vassal made himself useful."

"Charlie, what's happened to Hatter? Where is he?"

"Why, you don't even have a fire! Have you eaten?" Charlie sighed and reached into his saddlebags.

"Charlie, stop and tell me about Hatter!" Alice demanded pulling on his arm.

Charlie chewed on his lip and turned to her. "I saw him, felt him when I was looking around the ether." He took her hands. "It's not…. He's … Oh Alice!" Charlie pulled her into a hug. Alice pulled away and demanded to know what exactly did he see.

"Let me make you a fire and get some supper." Charlie turned back to the saddlebag. "Here boy, take these." Charlie held out a bundle to Ferret who was still staring wide-eyed at the horse and Charlie.

"What's the matter boy, haven't you ever seen a horse before?" Charlie grumbled under his breath. "Can you speak boy?"

"Give it to me," Alice took the bundle. "Ferret doesn't talk. Much" Alice unwrapped the bundle while Charlie started the fire. "At least get more wood." She told Ferret who backed away, afraid to take his eyes from the horse. Alice shook her head, Thank God they hadn't run into the Jabberwock.

"Well that's certainly a vast improvement." Charlie nodded. "the other one talked too much."

"Charlie, tell me what you know about Hatter." Alice sat on a log Charlie had drug up in front of the blazing fire. She kept back far enough so a stray spark wouldn't fly into her skirts. A pot boiled sending up appetizing smells. Ferret was as far as possible from the horse, his back against a tree.

"I don't _know_ anything really." Charlie stirred the pot. "Just feelings, impressions. That sort of thing." He hesitated looking over the fire at her.

"Charlie! Just tell me. I have to find him." Alice twisted her hands together trying not to scream.

"Darkness. Dirt. Pain. Hunger. Thirst." Charlie stood and removed the pot. "Come eat, I think it's ready." He reached for a small wooden bowl and gave her a hunk of bread.

"Darkness? Dirt? He's not … not dead is he?" Alice put both hands over her mouth. He couldn't be dead. Not Hatter. The bread fell on her skirt.

"He wouldn't be in pain or hungry and thirsty if he was dead." Charlie said softly. Suddenly he jerked his head around and stared into the night. Ferret jumped up and stared at Charlie and then in the same direction cocking his head trying to hear what Charlie heard.

"Charlie?" Alice sat down the bowl of stew and stood. "Charlie? What is it?"

"mmm what?" Charlie turned back around and filled another bowl. "here boy, come and eat." He handed the bowl to Ferret who took one sniff and wrinkled up his nose. He handed it back and shook his head.

"Just Alice," Charlie began, then shrugged. "Where are you finding these vassals? I think you need some guidance." He started dipping into the stew with a large chunk of bread.

"Never mind Charlie, I have to find Hatter. Do you know where he is?" Alice finished her stew.

"I think perhaps he's underground." Charlie answered taking the bowl from her. "Can the boy at least wash the bowls in the stream?" he handed both bowls to Ferret who took them and stood looking into the darkness, then slowly walked towards the stream.

"Underground? Like a cave or something? Why would he be underground?" Alice bit her lip. Not a grave. Not a grave.

"That's a very fetching dress? It looks somewhat like a wedding dress? Hmmm." Charlie frowned at her. "Are you getting married Just Alice?"

"Yes, but someone took Hatter. Brought him back here. I think it was Jack. He's gone crazy, you wouldn't believe what he did to me." Alice said absently.

"What!" Charlie jumped to his feet. "King or no King, I will defend your honor Just Alice!" Charlie looked around for his sword. He had set it aside earlier.

"Not now. Now we have to find Hatter." 

"I am sworn to defend you!" Charlie insisted then looked up. "shhh" he held up a finger. "Run!" Charlie reached for his sword but didn't get to it before a dozens Suits had them surrounded, guns drawn. Alice saw the nasty Minister of Clubs walk towards them, the one that was with Mad March when she was captured last time. Bowler hat tipped back on his head. She never heard his name. She wondered if they even had names.

There was no sign of Ferret. Alice hoped he was well hidden.

"Well, well. Isn't this cozy?" He looked around smiling and sat down on the log. "How are you Alice? Love the dress." He reached for the stew pot. "MMM this smells good!" he dipped a finger in and tasted it. "What a nice little camp you have here. Saves us a lot of trouble." He sighed happily.

He took another taste of stew. "Look around and make sure there aren't more of them. And tie them up. We'll take care of business in the morning."

"Did Jack send you to drag me back?" Alice spat at him as Suits tied her hands behind her back. Charlie had to be knocked unconscious to control him.

"Jack?" the Minister laughed. "Jack's locked up in the Hospital of Dreams. With the Duchess crying over him." He shook his head. "I guess I'm running things for now." He laughed again looking at Alice. "You've caused enough problems. After I take care of you, I'm going to get the Queen and put things back the way they were."

"Are you crazy?" Alice shouted at him. "You're free now. You can do what you want."

"Yes. And what we want is our power back. It's no fun anymore without anyone begging you for their life." He looked at Alice. "Will you beg? I wonder." He smiled showing all his teeth. "That would be nice. I should save you for the Queen but I can't wait that long."

Alice and Charlie were dumped on the ferns, tied securely. They gave the beaded purse to the Minister who shook it appreciatively. He put the whole thing in his pocket.

A couple Suits went to stand guard and another gathered more wood. The rest sat down to nap for now. There was still no sign of Ferret.

Just before dawn when everyone had finally fallen asleep, Alice opened her eyes at a muffled crash in the distance. She hoped it was the Jabberwock or something come to eat these Suits. Charlie would be hard to eat in that armor and maybe all these skirts would make it sneeze.

Silently, softly a hand went over her mouth. "Shhh" Ferret slipped a knife between her hands and cut the rope. Then her feet. She shook Charlie gently while Ferret cut his bonds and they got to their feet. Alice and Charlie followed Ferret towards the horses walking quietly as possible. Charlie turned around to look back and promptly fell over the body of a lookout and landed with a huge crash.

"Run! Run Alice!" Charlie yelled trying to get up and stop the Suits that were rushing at them. Alice came back and tried to help Charlie get up, and was only able to take out two Suits before the rest overwhelmed her. These skirts were too long for proper kicks. Ferret waited too long and was grabbed up. He fought and bit and was finally knocked out.

"Well. Well. So you did have a little helper. Nasty looking thing." The Minister kicked at Ferret's limp form. He looked up. "Almost dawn. Good a time as any. Let's move."

A Suit kicked the fire out while they gathered their stuff. One of them brought out a long chain and locked one end around Alice's leg and the other end was wrapped around a tree. Charlie and Ferret were tossed at her feet.

"Time to go, little Oyster." The Minister laughed. "You'll make a nice snack for the Jabberwock." He turned away. "Shoot the other two." He told a Suit

"Wait!" Jack will kill you if you kill me!" Alice stood over Charlie and Ferret.

The Minister looked back. "Au contraire my dear, I can truthfully tell Jack I didn't kill you. The Jabberwock ate you. We couldn't save you. It's going to be a very touching…"

A knife plunked into his forehead, right between his eyes and he fell heavily to the ground. Suddenly knives were flying everywhere and Suits were falling. They looked around shooting randomly. Alice fell to the ground and huddled against the trees.

More knives, more bullets until there was silence. Alice looked up.

Zwoop stood there dressed all in black, frowning down at her.

"I thought I told you to go home."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

OYSTER STEW

_There once was a girl called Alice_

_Who brought down the whole damn palace._

_I've looked high and low_

_But who she is I dunno_

_A girl called Alice_

_I love a girl called Alice_

They heard the singing long before the ragged man wandered into camp. He stopped and stared at them in surprise. A few men, a couple women, one older, one younger, sat around a fire. The younger woman had long dark hair and a blue dress. They stared back in shock.

"Who are you?" the older woman asked as the younger woman jumped up and ran to him. "What do you want?" The men reached for weapons. How had he gotten past the guard.

"Hatter? Is that you? What happened?" One eye matted shut with dried blood, bruises on his face, iron cuffs still around his ankles with the ends of chains dragging, once white shirt torn and bloody. And no hat. She'd never seen Hatter without a hat. "Come sit down by the fire. You don't know how happy I am to see you!" She took his arm and led him to the fire.

The men grumbled and got up. Hatter? This was the famous Hatter? They looked at each other and started to walk off. The woman called after them to find something to break off the iron cuffs.

"Poor boy, come sit down. Let me wash that blood off." She squeezed a rag in a pot of hot water. "I'll get you something to eat."

Hatter sat down still staring at the young woman. She took the rag from the older woman and began bathing his face. "Who did this to you?" she shook her head.

"Are you Alice?" he finally asked. His voice was hoarse and she bit her lip.

"What?"

"Are you Alice?"

With a glance at the older woman, she nodded. He seemed to relax and looked around. Finally. He could rest.

"Hatter? What are you doing here?" the older woman asked him while dishing up a bowl of stew. She tried to remember where she'd packed the ointment.

"Hatter? Is Hatter here too? Been looking for 'im" Hatter mumbled.

He reached up to touch his face. With the dried blood gone, he could open his other eye. He absently reached to straighten a hat that wasn't there. "Where's my hat?" he looked around for a second and then forgot the hat. He saw a piece of metal lying in the dirt. Without thinking, he picked the locks on the cuffs and they fell off. He forgot them immediately and started to drowse in front of the fire. He was so very tired. The older woman sat down the bowl of stew.

The women looked at each other in shock. "He's been drinking FORGET!" the older one said. "I'll make some honest tea and wash it out of his system." She set a kettle on a rock in the fire.

"I bet she dumped him!" the younger one said. "He was mine."

"Carlotta!" she whispered, "you shouldn't have told him you were Alice. What will you do when he remembers?" she shook her head. "You shouldn't have lied. You shouldn't have gone out with that other guy either."

"Shhh, mom. I was only trying to make him jealous. I thought I was never gonna see him again. Especially after he ran off with that Oyster." Carlotta whispered back.

"Oyster? Is that Oyster stew?" Hatter opened his eyes. "I love Oysters! No wait, that's not right." He frowned. "I love an Oyster." He laughed and touched his lip. "Oww." It was bleeding again. "That's silly, yeah? Why would I love just one Oyster?"

"Go look in the wagon and get some of your brother's clothes." Carlotta's mother told her. "He can't go running around the country like this." She handed Hatter the bowl of stew and he stared at it. "Go on, eat up. It's good for you."

He looked at her and stuck two fingers in the stew to taste it. Carlotta cried out and pointed. "Your hand! What happened to your hand!" Hatter licked the stew off his fingers and opened his hand. Across his palm were many cuts, some partially healed, some still bleeding slightly. 'ALICE' was carved over and over. Hatter grinned and held out his hand to Carlotta. "Alice. A girl called Alice." He looked at his hand again, the bowl of stew forgotten.

He looked up at Carlotta. "Are you Alice? Alice knows the magic word. What's the magic word?" He stood up and faced her.

She shook her head no and ran for the wagons. She'd seen people under the influence of TEA before, but nothing like this. It's almost as if he'd gone insane. Poor Hatter. That oyster did this to him.

Hatter stared after her then sat back down. He asked the mother if she knew where Alice is. Carlotta's mother said no and handed him a mug of hot tea. "This will make you feel better." She promised. "Eat your stew. You don't look like you've eaten in a while." She smiled at him. "Rest by the fire." He bore little resemblance to the cocky young man who'd brought Carlotta all those chocolates.

Later, after Hatter had finally eaten the stew, drank the tea and was dressed in clean clothes, humming his song, he finally fell asleep by the fire. His head pounded so when he tried to think.

She had a blue dress but she wasn't Alice. She'd said she was Alice, but she lied. She didn't know the magic word. The magic word would fix him, yeah? Alice, the real Alice would fix him.

Loud whispers woke him sometime later.

"I don't care if he's a hero, there's a price on his head."

"Yeah? So?"

"Look at my hands, I can't stop the shaking. If I don't get some TEA soon, I'm gonna kill somebody. We can get him away before dawn, Carlotta doesn't have to know."

"I heard he has a killer right."

"Yeah? Look at him, he's been thru the ringer."

"I want no part of it."

"Fine, I'll do it myself."

SMASH !

Hatter walked off into the night.

_AN: No female, not even Carlotta St. Delware, is immune to the yummy Hatter_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

FUN & GAMES

"What?" Alice said looking at Zwoop. Ferret was stirring and she bent to untie him. Charlie was still out cold.

"I told you to go home. At the party." Zwoop repeated looking around. "Ferret! Get up and collect the hardware. I don't want to see a spec of blood on my knives!"

"Don't talk to him like that! He's just a boy!" Alice s snapped. She helped Ferret sit up and smoothed his hair while Zwoop watched amused.

"A boy? He's older than you are." He laughed. "Ferret, I don't want to have to tell you twice."

"Just shut up, he's hurt." Alice glared at Zwoop.

"So that's the knight?" Zwoop gestured at Charlie. "I didn't think he'd be so old."

"Shut up! Nobody cares what you think." Alice started toward Zwoop and came up hard at the end of the chain. He laughed and started searching his pockets. He found a pocket knife and bent to unlock the cuff from her leg.

"Don't want to ruin those pretty boots." He wrapped his hand around her leg and inserted the knife blade and twisted it around. As soon as the cuff snapped open, Alice jerked her leg out of his hand.

"Thank you." She said reluctantly, rubbing her leg where he had held it.

"You're welcome." He looked at her interestedly. "Wake up the knight and let's go."

"You know where Hatter is?" Alice said excitedly.

"Not yet. But I will. I'm taking you home first." Zwoop watched Ferret carefully pull out the knives and wrap them in a Suit's coat to wash later. "Collect the guns too." He told him.

"Home? I'm not going home!" Alice untied Charlie, but he was still unconscious. She frowned. They'd hit him very hard. She patted his cheek. "Charlie? Wake up."

"Alice, I promised your mother I would bring you back. She's very worried about you."

Zwoop said patiently as if to a five year old.

"I'm very worried about Hatter." Alice looked at him "I'm not leaving without him."

"You're going home. We can do it the easy way or the hard way." Zwoop frowned at her. Who was this upstart little oyster of Hatter's.

"Dream on. How did you find us? Just in the nick of time wasn't it?" Alice started helping Ferret collect Charlie's gear. She took her beaded purse out of the Minister's pocket, carefully touching him as little as possible.

"Find you? I found you because Ferret wears a tracking device so I can find him when I want him. Hatter asked Ferret to watch over you and keep you safe while he came back here." Zwoop turned his gaze to Ferret. "That didn't mean letting her thru the Looking Glass. You'll answer for that one later." he promised.

"You see that's the difference. Hatter asks and you order. You don't own him!" Alice glared at him. Both of them looked at Alice in surprise. "Why was Hatter coming here?"

"He was coming to collect your knight for the wedding." Zwoop looked at Ferret. "Quit goofing off Ferret! We have to get out of here. Throw the knight over a horse. And get all the Suit's horses too."

"Stop giving orders! You're not in charge. No one is throwing Charlie over a horse. When he wakes up, he's going to take us to Hatter." Alice smiled thinking Charlie would have been a great surprise.

"He knows where Hatter is? Him? How?" Zwoop asked looking at Charlie, lying in a heap on the ground.

"He's well versed in the black arts." Alice smiled to herself. "You know the sort of thing."

"Oh good grief! Another Glenna. This is nuts. Get your stuff and let's go. The Jabberwock is bound to smell … all this." Zwoop pointed at the dead Suits.

"I told you, I'm not going anywhere!" Alice stamped her foot.

"Alice, listen carefully to me," Zwoop's mouth was hard. "You are going home. Now!"

Alice just shook her head at him.

"If I have to carry you…." He threatened.

Alice stood and faced him. "Try and carry me." She said softly.

Ferret rushed to stand between them, facing Zwoop who laughed.

"Looks like you have a champion. Get out of the way Ferret before you get hurt." Zwoop motioned him aside. Ferret looked scared but stood his ground.

Alice touched his shoulder and stepped around him. "It's ok Ferret. I'm a black belt." She went into a fighting stance. She bit her lip. This was going to really mess up the dress.

"Really?" Zwoop grinned. "So am I. And lots of other things" he laughed, going into a jujitsu fighting stance. "Do you really want to play, Alice?" He purred. A light came on his eyes.

Alice saw the look and shook her head in disbelief. This guy was unbelievable. He wasn't taking her back without Hatter.

"No!" both of them turned to stare in surprise at Ferret who had taken a gun out of his pocket and fired into the air. "No!" He leveled the gun at Zwoop. They could both see his hand shaking.

"Put that away before someone gets hurt." Zwoop ordered.

Alice frowned at Ferret. "No, Ferret. Don't do this. He's not going to hurt me."

Ferret shook his head. "No!" Ferret waved the gun.

"I won't hurt her. Gimme me that." Zwoop promised, walking up to Ferret and reaching for the gun. Alice held her breath. This was too déjà vu. She opened her mouth to cry out but the gun went off. Zwoop stared at Ferret in surprise. Ferret dropped the gun.

"Can't have her." Ferret whispered, shaking his head at Zwoop who was holding one hand with the other. Blood dripped from his fingers. "Not this one."

Alice ran to Zwoop and pulled his hands apart to look at the wound. It was just a flesh wound in his palm. Nothing serious.

Zwoop sat down suddenly on the ground staring at his hand. "He shot me! He actually shot me!" he looked at Ferret in amazement. Ferret was staring at the blood in horror. At Alice holding his bloody hand.

Alice looked around and ripped a tie off a Suit and quickly wrapped his hand.

"What are you talking about?" She looked over her shoulder at Ferret. "Have me? No one is _having_ me. Does it hurt much?" she turned back to Zwoop.

"Bandages. In my pack." Zwoop said faintly. "I will never live this down! Shot by Ferret! Fittin's Ghost!"

"Why did you shoot Zoop?" Alice looked at Ferret who had backed away, still shaking his head. He stared at the gun in the dirt and back at Zwoop.

"Ferret?" Alice looked at Zwoop when Ferret didn't answer. "What's he mean? Not this one?"

Zwoop stood and got his pack and started going thru pockets. "I imagine he thinks he was defending your honor. Keeping you safe for Hatter." He laughed and wiped the blood on his pants. "Good thing he hit my left hand." Zwoop seemed his old self again. Alice took the bandages away from him and wrapped his hand.

"My honor? What are you talking about?" Alice shook her head. She would never understand these people. "You weren't going to win, if that's what you mean. As for keeping me safe, I can take care of myself. Understand this though, I'm not going back without Hatter."

"I believe you." Zwoop stared at her thoughtfully, a small frown between his eyes. For the first time he considered the idea that he might not have been able to take her. In any sense of the word. A novel idea.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

TOURISTS

"Are you ready"

"Everyone hold hands, we don't want to get separated when we land"

"I don't think this is such a good idea"

"If you don't want to go, say so now"

"We already talked about this"

"I want to go, I just …"

"Do you want to go or not?"

"Zwoop is gonna kill us"

"Alice went and she was fine"

"We don't know all the details"

"Maybe we should ask Alice first"

"Maybe you should shut up or stay behind"

"And be here alone when Zwoop gets back"

"Yes, then you can explain everything"

"Are we ready or not"

"Did you pack the Perrier"

"Yes."

"Who left a note"

"Not me"

"Not me"

"We are so dead"

"But it's going to be fun"

"Wonderland City here we come"

"Are you ready yet"

"Wait"

"Now what"

"I have to go to the bathroom"

"Too late"

"OOOO"

"Hold on, here we go"

"Don't forget to breathe"

"wooohooo"

"Auuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

"Damn I broke a nail"

"Ow"

"Everyone ok"

"Who's got the nail repair kit"

"What"

"You're sitting on me"

"Not me"

"Are you kidding me"

"Stop pushing"

"It's awfully dark here"

"Nobody has a nail repair kit"

"Look out, there's water over there"

"OOOOH these were brand new"

"Didn't you bring any other shoes"

"No one told you to wear sandals"

"Shut up"

"You shut up"

"Anyone got a towel"

"I told you to wear hiking boots"

"There's a spot on my pants"

"They make my ankles look fat"

"Look, there's a light"

"We should probably be quiet and sneaky"

"Yeah that's gonna happen"

"Shut up"

"Be quiet, I hear something"

"Shhhh"

"Stop splashing me"

"Can't you whisper"

"Look at that"

"The city looks upside down"

"Well this place sure needs a good gardener"

"Look at all those weeds"

"Do you see anyone"

"Look how high we are"

"Does anyone at least have a nail file"

"Shut up"

"Make me"

"Don't walk so close to the edge"

"You better not pull me over with you"

"No one brought even a nail file"

"Watch out"

"Quit Pushing"

"Why didn't you bring your own nail file"

"Where are we going"

"I still have to go to the bathroom"

"Cross your legs"

"I don't see any public restrooms"

"Well these people go to the bathroom somewhere"  
"Shut up"

"I don't see any shops either"

"Who has the tracker"

"Give it to me"

"What if he lost his pack"

"Then I guess we'll find it"

"He's gonna kill us"

"And then what"

"I knew this was a bad idea"

"That's not how you turn it on"

"We have to get down to the ground"

"Look at that"

"Giant flying bug car"

"Hide"

"Run"

"I don't think they saw us"

"This is crazy"

"Let me go first"

"We're gonna get caught if you don't shut up"

"There, we go that way"

"We gotta get down to the ground first"

"They better have an elevator around here"

"I think you're holding it upside down"

"I'm hungry"

"I know how to hold a tracker"

"Zwoop is gonna kill us"

"Maybe not"

"Maybe something else will get us"

"Yeah, like the Jabberwock"

"I knew I shouldn't have listened to you"

"Get you maybe"

"You can't run in those shoes"

"I should have just come by myself"

"Are those my sandals"

"Listen"

"Why is it so hazy"

"Why is so dirty"

"Why can't you be quiet"

"It must have been beautiful once"

"Where is everybody"

"What time is it"

"Alice managed to come here and have a great adventure"

"Alice found Hatter"

"Maybe we can find Hatter"

"He'll help us"

"We could turn around and go back now"

"Look at that beautiful stained glass window"

"Shut up"

"Zwoop would never need to know"

"I like it"

"Slow down"

"Keep up"

"You're making too much noise"

"Shut up"

"We're almost at the bottom"

"Does that thing say how far away Zwoop is"

"I hear someone"

"Run"

"Not that way"

"Hide"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

MAGIC

Carol stared out the window, not really seeing the city. For some reason, Frankie had convinced her it was a good idea for him to sleep on the couch the last couple nights. So she wouldn't be alone. She hadn't wanted to be alone and was glad to have him to talk to, but she knew where he was headed and she wasn't sure she wanted to go there. Not even after Alice was found. She needed time to think. To figure out what was best to do. Robert dead all these years? She had considered it, when no body had been found, what was she to think. She shook her head. Robert was really dead.

The phone was on her lap waiting for Lucas' call. What if he didn't call. Would she call the FBI? The CIA? Who was special forces anyway? She sighed and rubbed her eyes.

The doorbell startled her and she dropped the phone.

Frankie wouldn't be back so quickly. She'd had to remind him he had other cases. Other families desperate to get news. He hadn't wanted to leave her. She smiled. He was nice…. made her feel safe.

She opened the door and stared at Glenna.

"Hello Carol." She smiled at her. "The children are in quite a mess. I know, I know" she held up a hand. "We're supposed to let them figure out their own problems, but I've decided this is taking too long. Someone is gonna get hurt so…. I'm gonna end it." she hoisted a heavy pack over her shoulder.

"Glenna? Come in. Do you have news?" Carol motioned her inside. "What do you mean end it? End what?" Carol frowned.

"I'd like to tell you a story." Glenna said closing the door softly behind her. "Do you believe in magic?"


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

A DEEP SUBJECT

Only the Jabberwock's bellows in the distance convinced Alice to hurry packing and help a groggy Charlie on his horse and away from camp. She refused to think about the Suits becoming the Jabberwock's dinner. She knew they couldn't stop and bury them, but still. It felt wrong to just ride off and leave them.

Naturally, Ferret refused to get on a horse. He shook his head and refused until Zwoop told him he would shut up and get up or he'd ride unconscious thrown over the saddle.

Charlie looked at Zwoop with suspicion. Really Just Alice kept collecting men when all she needed was him. He imagined he could see Zwoop laughing at him. And what kind of name was Zwoop anyway. Charlie could see he wasn't a vassal of any kind, but he still didn't trust him. He would keep a wary eye on this …this whatever he was. He didn't believe for a minute that Zwoop had killed all the Suits and the Club. It wasn't possible. If he hadn't been knocked out…

They rode downstream Charlie in the lead. Alice hoped he knew which way Hatter was. She could see it was killing Zwoop to let the Knight lead. He brought up the rear, leading all the extra horses. Zwoop dismissed Charlie's magic as nothing, but Alice knew better. Sometimes Charlie could be amazing. She hoped this was one of those times. She could hear Charlie singing Hey Nonny and tried not to sing along with him.

For the thousandth time, Alice tried to mash down her skirts They were draped over the horse and she felt like a princess in a fairy tale – silly. She laughed out loud at the thought of wearing one of those pointy hats.

Charlie stopped abruptly, and slid off his horse.

Alice was down as soon as possible in those skirts and ran to his side. He looked at her with puzzled eyes.

I'm sorry Just Alice, I … don't know what to say." He looked down. Zwoop dismounted while Ferret leaped off the horse and stood behind Alice.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Alice asked grabbing his arm.

Charlie looked down at her with sad, serious eyes and patted her hair clumsily with his glove. "I knew where the vassal was, so there was no need to keep looking."

"Was?" Alice took a deep breath. "Don't say _was_ Charlie. He's not….not _was. _Tell me where he is!" Alice bit her lip. Ferret touched her hand.

"Well…." Charlie exchanged a look with Zwoop, "he's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean gone!" Alice sat down hard on the ground. Dress be-damned. Gone. He couldn't be gone!

"Gone." Charlie nodded. "I looked again before we got here, and he's gone."

Zwoop went to help Alice up, but stopped at a look from Ferret who pulled Alice to her feet himself.

"Wait," Zwoop looked at Charlie. "You said here. He was here? Where? There's nothing here!" Zwoop looked around. They were in a large clearing, but there was nothing else.

Charlie glared at him and then looked at Alice. "He _was_ here." He said gently. "He's gone."

"Show me! You said underground. There's no cave." Alice looked around not seeing anything either.

"He was there, Just Alice. Right there!" Charlie snorted and stomped over a few feet and pointed down. Alice ran to his side and stared at the wooden cover buried in the grass. She fell to her knees beside it and tried to pull it off. It was too heavy and Zwoop swore and pulled her aside to heave it off. "An oubliette!" He swore again checking his pockets for a light.

"Ferret, get a rope!"

"It's a well. Just a simple well." Charlie disagreed. Oubliette indeed. That was something very different.

Zwoop shone the little pen light down the hole, but it wasn't strong enough to reach the bottom. It was a long way to the bottom. "Hurry up with the damn rope!"

Alice rocked back on her heels and held both hands over her mouth. She would not scream. She would not.

Ferret knotted one end around a tree and ran to Zwoop with the other. Zwoop looped it around his waist, stuck the pen light in his mouth and with one last look at Alice, repelled into the hole.

"Dear God! Dear God in Heaven!" Came the faint voice from below. Alice cried out and burst into tears.

"What did you find?" Charlie leaned over the hole and called down. Ferret caught him and pulled him back before he fell in. They could hear Zwoop coming back up, slower this time. He had a basket over one arm.

"He's not down there Alice!" He said as soon as his head cleared the top of the well. He threw the basket over the top and climbed out. "He's not down there!" He stopped himself from touching her. Ferret grinned and pulled her to her feet again.

Alice wiped her face with dusty hands and reached for the basket.

"Of course he's not down there!" Charlie said indignantly. "I said he _was_ here!" he looked at them in surprise.

"Oh Charlie" Alice smiled. "I thought you meant he was dead." She pulled empty bottles out of the basket. She didn't see the look Charlie gave Zwoop who lost his relieved look. "FORGET?" she frowned at the bottles. The looked like the bottle Hatter had given Ratty. "Is that some kind of TEA?"

"Yes." Zwoop finally answered. "There was a broken one too, DESPAIR" he didn't tell her the broken pieces had blood on them.

Ferret lifted the circlet of dead flowers from the basket and Alice grabbed it from his hand. "No! Oh no! Damn Jack!" Not many flowers were left, but she knew it was hers.

Knew Jack had done this to torture Hatter.

"FORGET is going to be a problem." Zwoop sighed and looked at Charlie.

"Why?" Alice dropped the circlet and looked at him and then at the bottles. "FORGET? How much does FORGET make you forget?" she got up and brushed her skirts off. He wasn't dead.

Zwoop looked at her a long moment and then at Charlie who was looking at the ground. "Everything. If he drank all this, and had nothing else….then everything. I'm sorry Alice."

"What do you mean everything!" she shouted. "Everything what?"

"Everything. Everything he ever knew." Zwoop said gently. "Even himself. But there's something …"

Alice sucked in her breath. "He ran a Tea Shop. He knows TEA. He'd know what would happen. He wouldn't drink it." She argued. Not Hatter.

"Alice," Charlie rubbed his eyes. "If he was down there with nothing else, then he had to drink or die."

Alice saw Ferret looking in an empty tin. There were a few crumbs left.

"Alice listen…" Zwoop started. "He …."

"No." Alice interrupted. "He wouldn't…" but she knew he would. Her Hatter was too alive to just sit down and die.

"Alice listen!" Zwoop shouted causing everyone to look at him in surprise. "There was something scratched on the bricks." He shrugged. "A poem, a song…."

"Well, What did it say!" Charlie yelled. "Tell us what it said!"

Zwoop looked at Alice, "It said….._ 'There once was a girl called Alice'."_

Alice covered her mouth to keep the screams in. She closed her eyes. Hatter!

"See Just Alice. He didn't forget you." Charlie nodded happily. No one would forget Alice of Legend.

Zwoop looked at him and just shook his head.

"Is that all?" Alice looked at Zwoop, debating if she could get down the well in this dress. She might have to go down in her underwear.

"No. There was a second verse. I think it went '_Who brought down the whole damn palace.' _But it was pretty shaky near the end.

"Ok. Ok. He's alive." Alice took a deep breath. "Look for him now Charlie. Find where he is now."

Charlie looked at her and shook his head, reluctant to destroy the hope in her eyes. He shook his head again. "But he's gone." He muttered.

"Yes, he's gone. He's not there anymore. Where is he now!" Alice shouted losing patience with him. "Look for him! Do your magic!" she glared at the other two.

"I did Just Alice. But…he's gone." Charlie shrugged. "I can't see him anywhere. He isn't there. I'm sorry."

"Are you saying he's dead? Cause I don't believe that. I won't believe that!" Alice snapped, glaring at them all. "Charlie you keep looking!" She ordered the knight.

"And Zwoop, Ferret, why aren't you looking for tracks?"

They nodded and started looking around. Zwoop didn't want to mention all the horses had trampled any tracks that might have been there.

"Find him! He's wandering around the forest, lost and hurt. Find him now!" Alice looked back at the well debating on if it would make a difference if she went down and looked for herself. _There once was a girl called Alice_. Oh Hatter, she thought. Where are you?

"Someone's coming!" Zwoop ran back into the clearing. "Hide!" he looked around. Four people, a dozen horses, there was no place to hide. He sighed and stepped behind a tree. Ferret melted into the forest. Alice looked at Charlie who shrugged.

"That's a wagon!" Charlie frowned. "Who would be driving a wagon out here? Get behind me Alice." Charlie was muttering under his breath, trying to draw that sword of his.

Alice frowned. A wagon? Suits would be quiet. They wouldn't come in a wagon.

The wagon rolled into the clearing and stopped in front of them. Zwoop and Ferret stepped out to face it.

"Mom!" Alice shouted.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

FINDERS KEEPERS

"Hello Dears!" Glenna called climbing down from the wagon. "Sorry we're late, had to stop and get a blue dress."

"Mom! What are you doing here?" Alice ran to hug her mom who had climbed down, but not as easily as Glenna.

"Alice!" Carol hugged her daughter and held her tight. "I was so worried about you! Why didn't you tell me what you were doing!"

"Mom! I can't believe you're here!" Alice hugged her back. "Oh Mom!"

"It's alright honey, I'm here now." Carol stroked Alice's hair. "It's gonna be alright."

Glenna told you everything?" Alice looked at Glenna who nodded.

"No secrets, no lies. Not in the family" Glenna smiled. "Now, first introduce me to this magnificent knight and we'll get on with finding David." She smiled up at Charlie.

"Glenna! What are you doing here?" Zwoop frowned. Things were getting totally out of control. "And you brought another Oyster to Wonderland. I can't believe this!"

"Alice dear, I've brought you a blue dress. We couldn't find one exactly like the one you wore last time, but it's pretty close. I can't believe you're still running around in that wedding dress." Glenna looked around. "Is that the well over there? hmmm"

"Honey, I can't believe this. It's like a dream." Carol let Alice go and looked around. "It can't be real." She shook her head

"Mom! I can't believe you're here!" Alice repeated "A blue dress? Well I'm glad to have something else to wear, but why a blue dress?" Alice asked.

Charlie marched up to Glenna and dipped his head. "Charles Eustace Fotheringale

Malvois, the third at your service." Charlie bowed over her hand. His beard tickled her fingers.

Glenna giggled. "Charles. I'm very pleased to meet you at last. Do call me Glenna."

Zwoop looked at her in surprise. Glenna giggling?

With another look at Charlie, Glenna walked over to Alice and the wagon.

"Yes, Glenna explained it all to me." Carol said looking around her gaze stopping on Charlie. "I don't think I believe it yet." She shook her head. A storybook knight!

"Mom, this is Charlie. The White Knight." Alice said "Charlie, this is my mom, Carol."

Charlie bowed over her hand and said his full name again. "You should be very proud of Just Alice." He told her.

"Mom, we have to find Hatter, he's lost. Someone gave him a TEA called FORGET." Alice shook her head. "It's like a drug to these people and now he's forgotten everything." Tears sprung to her eyes, but she blinked them back. Not now.

"It's gonna be alright." Carol patted her shoulder. "I was so worried. You were gone for days. I even called the police."

"Mom, you don't understand." Alice tried not to shout. "Hatter is in trouble!"

"Honey, don't worry. Glenna will find him." Carol smiled. "It's gonna be ok."

Alice sighed and walked away.

"Ferret, climb in there and find the Macy's bag." Glenna waved at Ferret who jumped lightly up in the wagon and started sifting thru the hundreds of bundles. "Give it to Alice."

Charlie was looking in the wagon too, touching this package and that.

"What is all that stuff?" Zwoop frowning at all the overfilled wagon. They were never going to find Hatter dragging all this behind. If only he could just leave them, he would find Hatter himself.

"Oh…things. Mostly for the wedding." Glenna waved. "Haven't you even built a fire yet?" She looked around. "This is not a very good camp" she sighed and Charlie jumped to collect wood for a fire. Zwoop just looked at her still frowning.

Alice took the bag from Ferret and walked into the trees to change. She was glad to get out of the wedding dress, but back in the blue dress wasn't much improvement. She wished they'd brought jeans. And hiking boots, but no, only more high heeled boots. Alice sighed. She looked at the green glow on her arm. Now everyone could see it. She stuffed the little beaded bag into the pocket of her dress. It made a bulge but she was afraid the coins would drop out.

She could hear them talking and closed her eyes. They were chatting like old friends. Her mother here! And Hatter was still out there, wandering around the forest bruised and broken. And Charlie couldn't find him. Even if he was a knight.

She folded the dress over her arm and sighed. It was in pretty bad shape. She ran her hand over the skirts. Too many sparkles gone, too many spots of dirt, too many tears. It had been a beautiful dress. She picked up the white boots and walked back to the wagon.

Glenna was sitting on a log in front of a fire. The others were sitting facing her. Alice laid the dress on the wagon seat. Carol kept an eye on Alice. She watched her walk back into the center of the clearing and knew her heart was broken. She was amazed at the lengths her daughter would go for this man, David. Hatter. She went from refusing Jack's ring to agreeing to an instant wedding to David. In one day! Only Glenna said time ran differently between here and home. Still even four days wasn't enough. She shook her head. Frankie popped into her mind and she frowned. Why would she think of him now, with all this other stuff going on. There was no time for thoughts of him. She caught side of Alice's arm.

"Alice, what's that green tattoo on your arm?" Carol asked and the others looked at it.

" 'Only people from your world turn green when burnt by the light,' " Alice quoted Hatter. "I thought Glenna explained all this." Alice shook her head. "I don't wanna talk about it now." She folded her arms together to hide it.

"But Alice," Carol began and stopped when Glenna shook her head.

"Good, we're almost ready to start." Glenna smiled at Alice and patted the log beside her. Alice sat down. The others were looking at Glenna, waiting. Even Charlie. She had clearly missed something important.

"Start what?" Alice asked. She missed her purple coat. It had protected the backs of her legs, kept her warm and smelled of Hatter's shop.

"To find David, of course." Glenna looked at her. "Why do you think I'm here child?" she shook her head. "Now, Charlie." She smiled up at him. "I understand you tried to find David in the Ether?"

"David?" Charlie looked confused. He thought they were looking for the vassal. He looked around.

"Hatter." Zwoop said. That blue dress was rather cute. And tight. Alice had nice legs.

"The Harbinger!" Alice said looking at Charlie.

"Oh! The Harbinger." Charlie hrumped. "He's gone." Shaking his head sadly. "Gone."

"David's … self is lost. David isn't gone. He's out there and I'm going to call him." Glenna pronounced. The others looked at her in confusion except Charlie who was looking with interest.

"His person you mean?" he asked nodding. "Yes." He nodded then shook his head. "I don't know how to do that."

"Yes." Glenna smiled at him. "Exactly. Now I need something of his. Something he's worn or touched." She looked around at them. They looked at each other in confusion.

Ferret stood up and took the blue bow-tie out of his pocket and handed it to Glenna. She smiled up at him and took it. When she saw the blood on it she frowned at Ferret. "You had this all the time, and you're just now giving it to me!" She shook her head. Children!

Ferret ducked his head and sat back down on the ground. He didn't take his eyes from Glenna. He shrugged.

"Yes. Well. Lucas, give me one of your knives." She held out her hand. Zwoop just stared at her. She wiggled her hand. With a sigh he brought one out from a secret pocket.

"I'm not going to hurt it." She rolled her eyes at Carol. "Men and their toys"

"I don't understand." Alice said. "How can you find Hatter with a knife and a bow-tie?" She didn't look at the bow-tie, didn't want to see the dried blood.

Glenna laughed. "You will, child. You will." She took the knife and started mumbling under her breath. Charlie leaned in closer, trying to catch the words. He thought he heard Galladooooon, but no kapush. He frowned. Strange magic.

Zwoop sighed. He'd seen enough of this. He got up and walked away to see to the horses. This was nonsense. They should be out now scouring the countryside for Hatter. He was bound to be in trouble.

Glenna took the knife and cut across her palm. She handed Alice the knife and told her to cut her finger. "Be careful. I only need a drop, and these knives are very sharp,"

Alice looked at the knife and back to Glenna. Charlie's magic wasn't anything like this. She took the knife and cut the tip of her finger. Blood dripped down.

"Ok, when I tell you, let it drip on the bow-tie." Glenna said taking a handful of dirt and covered the cut in her palm. She laid the bowtie over the dirt and nodded to Alice who let one drop spill onto the bow-tie and shine in the sun. Alice closed her eyes, she felt sick.

Glenna scooped up another handful of dirt and sprinkled it over the bow-tie. She covered the whole mess with her hand, closed her eyes and started mumbling. She mumbled on and on and Alice was getting sleepy when suddenly Glenna let out a blood curdling scream.

Zwoop came running back around the wagon and the others jumped to their feet. Glenna stretched and stood. She shook her hands and the dirt and bow-tie fell to the ground. She wiped her hands on her jeans and smiled. Ferret rescued the bow-tie, carefully folded it and put it back in his pocket.

"There. That ought to do it." She started back to the wagon. "Anyone hungry? I've brought some homemade soup."

"That's it?" Alice looked around in confusion. "But where is he? Where should we go?"

Glenna walked to the wagon and began rummaging in packages. She was humming to herself.

"Wait! We still haven't found Hatter." Alice stomped her foot.

Glenna turned around in surprise. She smiled patiently at Alice. "Child, we don't want to go traipsing around in the forest after the boy." She shook her head and pulled out a package and frowned at it.

"Yes we do!" Alice said looking at the others for support. Was no one else going to say anything?

"Wouldn't it be much better for him to find us?" Glenna asked gently walking around the wagon.

"hmmm. Yes" Charlie nodded "I do have one or two quest ions." He walked towards Glenna.

"Find us?" Alice asked. "How can he find us if he's forgotten us!" She ran to Glenna and her mom who was following Glenna. How did that happen.

"It would take too long to explain. Just trust me, child. David will be here soon." She hugged Alice. "He can run very fast when he wants to." Glenna handed Carol a package and carried a couple more to the fire. She smiled back at Alice. "And now he wants to."

Glenna unwrapped a couple pots while Carol's bundle held jars of soup. She opened them and poured both into one of the pots.

"Alice." She looked at Alice who was still standing there looking more confused than ever. "Only you can bring David back. The boy will come here, where you are. He's been trying to find you. But his _self_, his _spirit_ is lost, forgotten. Only you can tell him where it is."

"What do you mean? I don't know where it is." Alice looked Glenna, then Charlie in confusion. "If Charlie can't find it, how can I?" Glenna might look normal, but she made less sense than Charlie.

Glenna laughed, unwrapping wooden bowls. "Child." She smiled. "Where do you keep _your_ self? _Your _spirit?" Glenna dipped soup into bowls and passed them around.

Alice sat down and thought about her spirit. Didn't it live in her head? Wasn't it the same as her mind? Her thoughts? She could understand how someone could lose their mind, but they didn't find it again just cause you told them where it was. These people were too weird.

Glenna sent Charlie to find some herbs in the forest and began mixing together things she'd brought with her. Ferret found more wood for the fire. Carol sat close to Alice with her arm around her. Zwoop looked for a stream to water the horses.

"What are you making?" Alice asked Glenna.

"Something to help clear David's head." Glenna looked up at her. "His memory is there, but all mish-mashed together." She bit her lip, was it two or three leaves? Hmmm. Better make it three just to be sure.

The afternoon wore on slowly. Alice sat drowsing in front of the fire. Finally, she stood and said she needed to stretch her legs. Carol got up to follow her, but Alice waved her back and shook her head. Alice walked toward the trees.

She looked up and he was there. Standing there just inside the trees looking at them, at her. His face was covered in cuts like he'd walked thru brambles, one eye was black and his clothes, he had different clothes, but they were torn and dirty. His hair was a fright. His scruffy beard was almost a real beard.

With a cry, Alice ran to throw herself in his arms. "Hatter!"

He caught her easily and held her at arms length.

"Are you Alice?" He asked looking her up and down. It was a blue dress. But the other one had a blue dress too.

"Hatter!" Alice tried to break free of his grip so she could hold him.

"Are you Alice? A girl called Alice?" His voice was hoarse and held no emotion.

"Yes. Yes! I'm Alice!" She saw the others approaching out of the corner of her eye.

Hatter nodded, let her go and with one smooth motion his right hand went around her neck. She heard the others gasp.

"What's the magic word?" Hatter asked, his hand tight.

Alice heard Charlie trying to draw that stupid sword of his. She imagined Zwoop was reaching for knives and who knew what Ferret was doing. Alice held up her hand behind her to stop them.

"The magic word?" Alice looked up at him. She bit her lip. His eyes were empty. His beautiful, chocolate eyes. Willed herself not pull at his hands.

"Alice knows the magic word. A girl called Alice." He shook his head. "…a blue dress." He looked her up and down frowning. "a very wet dress." His other hand touched the Glow on her arm. "Oyster."

"What?" She looked into his sad, empty eyes. What had happened to him.

"If you're Alice, the real Alice, you know the magic word, yeah?" He squeezed harder and Alice had to force herself to stand very still.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

MAGIC WORDS

Alice looked into his eyes and smiled. "I trust you. Completely"

With a sigh, Hatter's hand let go and he staggered to his knees. Alice. His Alice. Finally.

Alice knelt facing him, pulling him tight against her. Her face pressed in his wild hair.

"Hatter! Oh Hatter! What happened to you!" She tried to smooth his hair down. It was full of leaves and sticks and stuck out every which way.

"Hatter? Is he here?" Hatter pulled back to look in her eyes. "I've been looking for him." He looked around and saw the others for the first time. His gaze went over them without recognition.

"You're Hatter." Alice said. "You've just forgotten." She touched his face, tried not to cry.

He shook his head. "Alice knows where Hatter is. Please…" he blinked. "Please tell me."

"Tell him, Alice." Glenna said quietly. "Tell him where Hatter is."

Alice looked at Hatter and suddenly she knew. She touched his heart. "There, Hatter is there."

Hatter looked down at her hand and frowned. Then looked back at her and moved his lips but nothing came out.

"And here." She took his hand and lifted it towards her heart. "Hatter is…your hand! What happened to your hand!" She dropped his hand and cried out.

Hatter opened his palm completely and held it out to her. 'Alice' was cut many times, over and over. The latest cut still bleeding.

"Alice." He grinned at her "A girl called Alice."

Hatter touched her face with one finger, touched a tear and watched it run over his finger

She grabbed his hand with both of hers, tears ran down her face and dropped in his palm, mixing with the blood. He squeezed his fist tight.

Eyes blurry with tears, Alice took his fist and held it to her heart. "Here," She smiled at him. "Hatter is here." She whispered.

"Alice?" something stirred in his eyes. "I love a girl called Alice." He touched her hair with his other hand.

Alice laughed and said "and I love a Hatter." Her face grew serious and she waited for him to kiss her. She could feel his breath on her face.

"Alice? I…" Hatter crushed her to him and kissed her hard. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. After a minute he pulled back far enough to whisper "I missed you."

Alice laughed and buried her face his shoulder. She missed the leather jacket. It had smelled so good. She would have to get him another one.

"Stand up, David. Let's have a look at you." Glenna pulled Alice to her feet and Hatter stood clumsily, feeling all his pains for the first time.

He looked around at them frowning. "I know you….I ..I'm sure I know you."

"Harbinger!" Charlie clapped him on the back grinning. "We've been looking for you!" his beard quivered happily.

"Cuz" Zwoop lifted an eyebrow and nodded his head. He started to hug Hatter, but stopped.

Ferret just grinned and shifted his weight from one foot to another, almost dancing.

"David. Come and let's clean you up some." Carol took his hand. "You must be hungry"

"Yes," Glenna nodded. "Come and let me put something on all those cuts." She took his arm and led him back to the fire. His other hand was tight in Alice's hand. He wouldn't let her go again. Ever.

Hatter sat by the fire and made a face at Glenna's potion, but drank it. He sat there and watched them watching him. Tried to remember who they were. He finished the rest of the soup while Glenna and Carol fussed over him. Alice sat close to him, touching him and grinning.

"_Birds of a feather…, Crumbs in the butter stick together."_ Hatter told Alice nodding. "There's something wrong with the clockworks, but I .. can't remember."

"You will." She promised. "You will. I'm so happy to see you!" She hugged him. "Don't leave me again."

"Hello Alice"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

PROMISES TO KEEP

"_All the King's horses and all the King's men, couldn't put Hatter back together again_." Hatter sang looking up at Jack sitting there on a black horse. Looking pale and weak, but still sitting very straight, the way he was taught.

Alice's mouth opened but no words came out.

"I wanted to apologize to you. I'm very sorry Alice." Jack's chin lifted at the hostile look. "Is that the blue dress you wore for our date?"

Everyone stood except Hatter who kept singing the verse over and over under his breath. Another dream. Just another dream.

Even Charlie glared at the king. Alice wouldn't talk about it, but he was sure the King had done something to her. Zwoop walked around to stand beside Hatter and touched his shoulder. He nodded to Ferret to take the other side. Alice stepped toward Jack.

Glenna closed her eyes. This was not going to end well.

"Apologize? You think an apology is good enough for all that you've done?" Alice asked him. She looked around seeing no Suits. "No goons?"

"I wasn't myself. You know the Duchess gave me TEA. I'm sorry Alice. I never wanted to hurt you." Jack smiled a very small smile. "I did care about you."

"And Hatter, did you want to hurt him?" Alice gestured to Hatter still singing softly. "You've almost destroyed him."

Jack looked straight at Alice and said nothing. One hand in his pocket.

"I see." Alice nodded. "You know what's funny Jack?" she went on without waiting for him to answer. "I once thought I was in love with Jack Chase." She shook her head. "But he doesn't exist."

"Alice," Jack began but Alice held up her hand.

"You kidnapped Hatter, beat him, gave him TEA to make him forget and left him down a well in the middle of the forest. Does that cover it or did I miss something?"

"I never laid a hand on him." Jack shrugged, the sneer firmly back in place. Eyes never left Alice.

"Oh? So you had your goons do it. Are you going to deny you laid a hand on me?"

He frowned at her, "You asked me to bring you here Alice. You begged me."

"Did I ask you to drug me? Keep me drugged for a week? Did I ask you to keep me locked up in your rooms? Did I …." Alice closed her mouth. She hadn't wanted the others to know any of that. Especially Hatter.

"I didn't do anything to you Alice, you were like a …." For the first time he showed some emotion. She couldn't figure out what it was. Sadness, maybe regret. It didn't matter.

She heard something behind her and turned halfway to see Hatter struggling to get up. Zwoop and Ferret held him firmly down. His face was twisted in anger. He knew that guy. Had made him a promise.

"Duchess said you had a …a….thing …. all planned. You sorry about that too?" Alice turned back to Jack. "That's why she helped me escape."

"I told you it's not my fault. I was under the influence of the TEA. I'm not responsible for what happened." Jack sighed. Oysters.

"Yeah?" Alice said. "You keep telling yourself that." She shook her head, looked down at her shaking hands. "You're a good liar Jack. That should come in handy as a King."

Alice took a deep breath.

"So now what Jack? That's it?" Alice looked at the others. Realized she was the only one talking. Jack lifted his chin. Sat a big straighter. Forced himself not to touch his tie.

"He's the King." Glenna finally said. "Alice, he's the King."

Jack lifted his chin even higher, "I did apologize." His hand tightened on the reins.

"Step off that horse and I'll show you what I think of your apology." Alice invited.

"Alice no, he's the King." Zwoop said quickly. "that's best done in … private." Zwoop glanced at the forest around them, certain it was filled with Suits.

Alice turned and looked at him. "You think I haven't already kicked his ass many times?" She turned back to Jack. "Come on down Jack."

"He wasn't the King then. Stop Alice." Glenna begged. Charlie stood close to Glenna. "Just Alice, this isn't a good idea…" He began.

Ferret watched Hatter's right hand, waited for the fist. A sure sign Hatter was going to hit something, someone. Most likely the King. And then there would be hell to pay.

"So a king can do all those things with no consequences?" Alice asked Jack. "You make me sick."

Jack smiled at her and brought his hand out of his pocket. A tangle of ribbons floated to the ground. Hatter cried out.

"Goodbye Alice." Jack nodded his head and started to turn the horse. A shot rang out and the horse reared up. Jack crumbled to the ground.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

BANG BANG

Carol lowered the pistol and walked over to him. The others stood open-mouthed in shock.

"I'm from New York. We don't believe in the divine right of Kings." She aimed the pistol at his head. She kicked his leg. "Get up, you're not hurt that bad."

"Mom!" Alice screamed. "No!"

Alice couldn't look at Jack, but instead picked up the ribbons. They matched the one still tied on her wrist. The wedding ribbons.

Carol ignored her and watched Jack groan and roll over. "Mom, don't!" Alice looked at the others, who just stood there in shock. They all forgot about Hatter who stood and walked over to stand beside Carol looking down at Jack.

"_Jack be nimble. Jack be quick…." _Hatter laughed. "You should get some body armor." Hatter said watching Jack who was struggling to sit up. "Handy Dandy." He grinned.

Jack pressed one hand to his shoulder. It was sticky with blood. Suits would be coming soon. He took a deep breath.

"You came into my house with your tricks and lies!" Carol shook her head. "What you did to David, what you did to my baby…." She tapped the side of his head with the gun barrel. "If you ever harm either of them again, I will kill you." She lowered the gun. Jack kept his focus on Alice.

"Mom! Are you crazy?" Alice shouted, ribbons dangling from her hand. "Where did you get a gun!"

Hatter saw the ribbons and frowned. He'd seen those before. He reached out to touch one. "Are they real?" He asked Alice. Was this another dream?

She took his hand. "Yes. I'm real and you're real."

The others woke up and Zwoop hurried to help Jack sit up. Glenna kneeled down to rip his shirt open and check the wound. Charlie and Ferret looked at each other.

"It's a straight thru and thru. I didn't hit anything vital." Carol checked the safety and put the gun in her pocket. "It's my gun. I got it after your father left."

"Carol, you can't just go around shooting the King!" Glenna didn't look up. She ordered Ferret to bring her basket from the wagon. Ferret looked at Hatter and then went to get the basket. She began binding the wound in his shoulder. Charlie walked back and forth, unsure what to do. Zoop watched the trees. She should have used a silencer. Or a knife. A knife would have been better.

Alice gave Hatter the ribbons and he held them in both hands staring at them. Then he frowned at Jack. "I know you. I…" Hatter squeezed his eyes shut. "You drugged Alice?" Hatter shook his head to clear it, trying to remember. "You drugged her like an Oyster?" Why did his head pound so?

Jack looked around, focused on Alice. Suits were riding into the clearing. He could hear the horses coming. He'd left them back in the trees, told them to wait. He hadn't wanted to scare Alice. He tried to chuckle but could only cough. Who'd have thought Alice's mother would have reacted like that.

"Hatter." Alice warned taking his arm, his right arm.

"Get up." Hatter ordered. "Get up and fight like a man." His fist closed around the ribbons. Zwoop grabbed Hatter from behind.

"David, stop." Glenna warned, looking up at him. "This is not the time or place."

Charlie looked at her and frowned. This time, this place, this meeting in the woods?

Suits swarmed in, surrounding them guns drawn. A couple helped Jack to his feet, held him up. Glenna stood back, trying to watch everyone at once. Zwoop's hands slipped into his pockets. Alice held on to Hatter's right hand as tightly as she could.

"_All the king's horses, and all the king's men…" _Hatter looked at them. Most of them recognized him. Some nodded at him, they all stared at Alice.

"No." Jack said weakly. "Just give them the girls and let's go."

"Majesty." One of the Suits nodded and waved at the trees. A Suit rode out pulling three horses tied together. Three wives sat on the horses, hands bound in front, gags firmly in place.

Zwoop cried out and ran to meet them. "What have you done!" He looked around, "Where's Sasha!" he pulled them off the horses and cut their bonds. They laughed and hugged him all talking at once.

"You mean there's another one?" Jack laughed weakly. The Suits helped him back on his horse. "You're insane." He fought to keep any pain from showing. "They managed to get captured by pirates. Only demanded ransom for three."

"Why are they bound and gagged?" Alice asked unable to believe Jack could tell the truth.

"They wouldn't be quiet." Jack shrugged at Alice. "Drove us insane with their chattering. They had a tracker. Brought us right here."

"Pirates!" Zwoop frowned at Jack, "There are no pirates in Wonderland!" He gathered them close, touching their faces and hair. Tracker?

"There are now." Jack pressed one hand on his wound and the other held the reins. He forced himself to sit upright. He was a king. He turned the horse and the rest of the Suits mounted and followed. He stopped and looked back. "Good bye Alice"

She just looked at him, and he nodded once and rode away.

"Where's Sasha?" Zwoop asked the wives who were suddenly very quiet. "Is she at home? I knew she wouldn't be part of this… this mutiny."

"um."

"well"

"it was all her idea"

Zwoop frowned at them. "I told her specifically not to come here" He looked at Glenna.

She shrugged. "Don't look at me. I don't know anything about it."

Zwoop looked back to the wives, pulled them toward the fire. None of them were dressed for this weather or a hike in the forest. They could have been eaten. Or worse.

"Tell me what's going on"

"Well"

"She said"

"She wouldn't come"

"She said to tell you"

"She wants to know"

"If you love her"

"If you really love her"

"Otherwise"

"She said"

"What's the point in coming back"

_AN: ok let me know if you want to see a side story on Zwoop and the wives adventure. Alaina Downs was right that Zwoop bears a striking resemblance to Johnny Depp. Specifically the Oct 12. 2008 pix in Cosmo - Sexiest Man Alive._

_Thanks for the reviews!_


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

MEMORIES

They all stood and watched until the Suits were completely out of sight and then looked at each other. Glenna took the ribbons from Hatter. "I'll keep these for now. Alice, give me the one on your wrist." Alice held out her arm and Glenna patiently undid the knots.

Zwoop took the wives aside and quickly built up the fire. He told them to sit there and be quiet. He would deal with them later. In private. They grinned at him.

"You're gonna have to take a bath and wash that hair. Where's your hat?" Glenna said to Hatter. "Lucas? How far away is that stream?"

"Hat?" Hatter felt is head. "Where's my hat?" He looked around. How could he lose is hat?

Ferret grinned and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a folded up, wadded down brown pork pie hat. He held it out to Hatter. Hatter frowned at it and took it in both hands trying to push and pull it back into shape.

"It's not mine." He looked at Ferret. "It's too light."

Alice looked at the hat in confusion. It was the same hat he'd worn before. It looked like the same hat.

"It's the same hat. It's the same color." She told him.

"Too light." Hatter repeated still looking at Ferret who opened his lips and then bit them. Hatter stepped toward Ferret lifting his fist. "It's too light!" hat clutched in one hand.

Ferret pointed to Alice leaping back out of reach. "Alice…" He whispered. "purse!" Ferret cried out ducking Hatter's right hand.

Alice grabbed Hatter and pulled him down to sit beside her. He looked at her angrily and then the expression faded. "Too light." He shook his head sadly looking at the hat, then carefully put it on.

Alice looked at Ferret who had run halfway to the wagon and a light dawned. She reached into her pocket and brought out the little beaded purse. She opened it and poured the gold coins into Hatter's hand. He must have hidden them inside the hat somehow. No wonder he'd held onto it so tightly.

He looked at them sadly, letting all but two fall thru his fingers in the dirt. Absently he danced those two back and forth over his knuckles. Alice watched in amazement.

"We played with them when we were little." He rolled the coins from hand to hand, knuckle to knuckle. "They were my mothers. Antiques, she said." Hatter smiled at Alice and gave her the coins. "Not worth anything. All I have left. One's missing." She took them and looked at him. She looked up and saw Zwoop watching her closely.

Ferret had ventured back to the fire. "Dress." He told Alice.

Charlie looked thoughtful. He remembered seeing something like that before.

"They're worth a fortune in my world" Alice put them back in the little beaded purse and stuffed it in her pocket. She wanted to hear all about his family. She would save that for later.

Hatter looked around, stared at the trees and the sky. And Charlie. His eyes narrowed.

"Wonderland! This is Wonderland, yeah?" He looked at Alice who nodded.

"Who brought you here?" He demanded, looking around. He focused on Ferret. "You? You were supposed to keep her safe!" He stood and his face hardened. Ferret jumped back and shook his head vigorously no.

Alice stood and took his arm. "No! It wasn't Ferret." Hatter looked at her then back at the group one by one. When he focused on Zwoop he blinked in surprise.

"You! What are you doing here?" He looked at his right hand and made a fist, then looked at Zwoop. "You brought her?" He asked.

Alice pulled on his arm. "No!" Hatter ignored her.

Zwoop put his hands up and backed away. "It wasn't me."

"You're always wanting to hit somebody!" Alice stomped her foot.

"Who brought you here!" He shouted at her.

"Jack." She answered slowly. "He.."

His shoulders slumped. Jack? Jack? not that guy, please not him. "Why him?"

Hatter looked around. "_Jack be nimble…" _He looked down at the ground and shook his head. His head still hurt. "He was here." He remembered Jack on the ground, gunshot wound in the shoulder. "Did I shoot him?" Was that another dream. It was hard to tell the difference.

"No." Alice looked at him with concern. "My mom did." She looked at the others. Apparently this remembering was going to take awhile.

"Why?" he looked at her. "What did he do that was so bad your mom had to shoot him?" He rubbed his head. Disjointed words and pictures flashed thru his head.

"He …he" Alice bit her lip. No lies no secrets. "He kidnapped you and gave you FORGET TEA and left you in a well." Alice took both his hands. "Look at me, the Duchess gave him TEA too. He wasn't acting normal."

"Your mom wouldn't shoot him for that. You're not telling me everything. What did he do to you?" Hatter watched her eyes closely.

"I made him bring me here. He was drunk. Only it was on TEA or maybe he was drunk too. I don't know." she dropped her eyes.

"What. Did. He. Do." Hatter said slowly shaking her a little.

"He drugged me with something and …" Alice looked up at him. "I don't know."

"Like the Oyster's in the Casino?" Hatter shook his head. "What else?"

"I don't remember anything else till the Duchess woke me up." Alice sighed. "She said it was almost a week." Hatter could see the shadows in her eyes. The unanswered questions. The fear. "Ferret brought me out of the city to find Charlie. So we could find you."

He looked at Carol, at them all just standing there watching them. "You just let him go? Why didn't you kill him?"

"He wasn't himself. She gave him TEA!" Alice shouted.

"Why are you still defending him? Unbelievable!" He let her go, afraid he might accidently hurt her.

"Hatter, what did you do when you were wandering around in the forest, when you were full of TEA?" Alice asked him quietly. "What did you do?"

He looked at her, looked around. "I don't remember." He said finally. Dreamed, he thought. I walked in dreams. Nightmares mostly.

She nodded. "Jack might not remember either. It's over now. He brought me here so I could find you." She would say anything to get him off thoughts of revenge. The King. The liar king.

"Do you still care about him?" Hatter took her arms again and pulled her very close so he wouldn't miss anything in her eyes.

"No!" Alice protested. "No."

"Why him?"

"Cause he's the only one who would bring me!" Alice shouted. "I would have come with the devil himself if he would have brought me. I don't care about Jack!"

"Then why do you keep running off with him!" He shouted then looked at her sadly. Looked around and saw Zwoop. "And now….him" Hatter waved a hand at Zwoop.

"What?" Alice said. "I didn't run off with him. I came to find you! He came to find me. And you"

Hatter ignored her and said. "Look at him. How long were you with him?" he shook his head sadly.

"What? I don't know. A couple days or so. Why? What difference does it make?" Alice shrugged, frowning. "I was with Ferret longer."

Hatter's thoughts jumped back and forth. If only his head would stop hurting. This was surely another nightmare.

Hatter shook his head, dropped his face in his hands. "Too late. It's too late."

"What?" Alice looked at Hatter and then the rest of them. They looked confused too. "What do you mean?"

"He's a ….poacher." Hatter lifted his head, glaring at Zwoop.

Zwoop held his hands up. "I told you that wasn't my fault."

"Women are attracted to him. Like… like… like crumbs to butter." Hatter shook his head and sat back down heavily. "All he has to do is touch them and they're hypnotized. Why?" he asked Zwoop. "Why Alice?" She was everything. A girl called Alice.

"Tried to stop him." Ferret mumbled. He wrung his hands looking at Hatter with stricken eyes.

Alice laughed and said. "Touch me? Is that all? He touched me, so what?" She looked around at the others in confusion. Everyone was looking at Zwoop. Charlie nodded, he knew that knave was up to no good.

"He hugged me at the party." She sat back down beside Hatter. "Just a hug. Isn't he your cousin?" She put her arm around him.

Zwoop looked at her with an amused smile. "Of a sort." He answered.

Hatter looked up, "That wouldn't count, it has to be bare skin to bare skin. With intent." He glared at Zwoop. "That's his magic, yeah? He doesn't have to think about it, he just does it. Like breathing." Hatter flexed his hand into a fist, one finger at a time.

"What?" Alice looked from Hatter to Zwoop. "His magic? What magic?"

Hatter looked at Zwoop who raised an eyebrow and shrugged one shoulder.

The wives frowned at Zwoop. Magic? Hypnotize? They looked at each other. Was Sasha right?

"But he did." Alice said, "He held my leg when he took of the chains. And I bandaged his hand where Ferret shot him." Alice touched Hatter's arm. "Right before I was going to kick his ass. He thought he was going to make me to go home without you."

"Did you have to tell everyone Ferret shot me?" Zwoop interrupted rolling his eyes at his wives, but they were frowning at him. Whispering to each other. That was never a good sign.

Hatter slumped. It was over. This was ten times worse than when she left with… with him. She could never love him now. He shook his head. All for nothing. It would have been better never to remember at all. Even the dreams were better than this.

"He touched me! So what?" Alice demanded pulling at his arm, forcing him to look at her. "You think I like him? That he worked some magic on me?" Alice looked at Zwoop considering.

"Him? Oh, he's pretty enough I grant you" she smiled. "But… Would he step between me and a gun? Again and again? Would he…could he take on the Jabberwock barehanded to save me? Would he risk his neck to get me out of the Casino? Twice? Would he still rescue me after being tortured? Could he smash Mad March's weird head? Could he climb out of a well and find me?" Alice shook her head. "I don't think so."

"March?" Zwoop interrupted glancing at Glenna. " Mad March? He's dead, the Queen had him beheaded a long time ago." He shook his head slowly watching Hatter. This could not be right.

Hatter looked at him and finally said, "The Queen had him revived and they used some weird glass rabbit head with wires and lights. It was… an abomination." Maybe that had been a dream too.

"I'm sorry Hatter. I'm so very sorry." Zwoop looked very serious. Glenna shook her head no over and over. David had left out a lot of details when he'd told the story. A lot of details. She would have to talk to Alice later.

Alice looked at them, knowing she was missing something important. But it could wait.

The wives looked at each other, Hatter did all that for Alice? Before she loved him? Hmmmm. They looked at Zwoop considering. Would he?

"What is wrong with you! You keep thinking you aren't good enough!" Alice shouted at Hatter jumping to her feet. "I am not the least bit attracted to him." Looked away from them all.

"You're not?" Hatter looked up hopefully. He stood and faced her, held her by the shoulders.

"No." Alice smiled at him. "You can't hypnotize somebody's who's already hypnotized." She said gently adjusting his hat.

"What?" Hatter frowned at her. Re-adjusted his hat.

"You hypnotized me the second you turned around in that chair." She grinned. "You think I'd let him hustle me? You think I'd follow him out on a ledge? You think I'd get on a flamingo with him? Follow him into the forest?" she shook her head.

"You wouldn't?" Hatter grinned. She wouldn't. Alice wouldn't.

"All you had to do was look at me and I followed you anywhere. Don't you remember?"

"You did, didn't you?" Hatter pulled her into his arms. He watched Zwoop over her shoulder, eyes gloating.

Alice continued "He's pretty and soft. He's not you." She tightened her arms around him. "He's not you, Hatter." She pulled his face down to hers.

The wives sighed and then frowned at Zwoop. He never acted like that.

After a very short kiss, Hatter pulled back. "What chains?"

"What?" Alice asked eyes still dreamy. "Chains? What chains?"

"You said Zwoop unlocked the chains on your leg." Hatter explained. "Who put chains on your leg? And where's your coat? It's cold out here."

"That Club and some Suits captured us." She blinked. "You have the coat"

"They didn't capture me." Zwoop laughed "and they didn't capture Ferret. The first time anyway."

"They captured me and Charlie. He found me and Ferret. Then Charlie found the …" she didn't want to say it.

"Sorry, cuz. I didn't save you any." Zwoop sighed.

"What?" Hatter looked at Zwoop. "Save me what?" he frowned at Alice "You gave the coat back!"

"I imagine the Jabberwock has eaten the bodies by now." Zwoop shrugged.

"Don't say that!" Alice shuddered. "Those poor people."

"Those poor people were going to kill you. And Ferret and Charlie." Zwoop frowned at her. All she did was argue. Who'd want a wife like that? He smiled at his wives. They were perfect. Except he was going to have to do something about Sasha. He frowned. Or, if she wanted to stay with pirates, let her.

Zwoop looked at Charlie and asked, "Are they always like this?"

Charlie muttered and noded his head. "Mmmm, yeah."

"Zwoop, take Hatter down to that stream and both of you take a bath." Glenna handed them both packages. "Soap. Clean clothes. Ferret you go too." She held out a package to Ferret who frowned at her shaking his head. Glenna narrowed her eyes. "Either you go with them, or I'll take you down and wash you like a child."

Ferret's eyes widened and he grabbed the package and raced after Hatter and Zwoop.

Everyone laughed. Charlie walked after him. Thinking he could do with a bath himself.

"Charles, wait." Glenna called after him. "I brought this for you. It's a gift from David. Had to have it specially made." She pointed to a large box in the wagon. Charlie hefted the box down and ran his hands over it. He hadn't had a gift since he was a child. A real gift! For him!

"Open it Charlie!" Alice stood beside him. Another thing Hatter did before the wedding. She had almost forgotten that day, so many things had happened.

Charlie was torn between wanting to take the box home and savor it and ripping it open now. He grinned at Alice and Glenna and the ripping won.

Inside, wrapped in white paper was a new set of white armor and chain mail. It wasn't exactly the same, but that's ok cause he really wasn't the White Knight. Tears filled his eyes and Alice hugged him. Charlie pulled out piece after piece. It was much lighter than the armor he had. "Thank you!" he whispered.

"Bullet proof too." Glenna told them. "Latest thing. There's a sword in here somewhere too." She loved giving presents.

Charlie's mouth moved but no words came out. He carefully put it all back in the box and carried it down to the stream. Who would have thought the Harbinger would be so thoughtful.

"Ok now we're rid of the men, help me get this out of the wagon." Glenna was pulling on a large canvas. Everyone helped her get it out and helped her set up a canvas bathtub. Alice laughed in delight. A real bath!

After supper, while they were all still sitting around the fire, Glenna announced it was time to decide what they were going to do. She glanced back at the wagon.

"I've brought all the stuff we need to setup the wedding. Except for the flowers and those will be coming tomorrow, along with everyone else. To the Kingdom of the Knights. . It will make a splendid spot for a wedding, don't you think?"

"I've been working on your dress Alice, I think it's in better shape. But I've also brought the blue one David wanted in the first place. Your choice."

Everyone looked at each other and back at Glenna. They'd forgotten the wedding.

"No." Hatter looked at Glenna, then Alice. "There's not gonna be a wedding."

_AN Sorry this chapter went on and on and on. There was only one place to break it, but no link for next one. So here it is all in a lump. Hope you enjoy! Sorry nothing else till next week._


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

CHIT CHAT

The next time Zwoop went to check on the horses and make a sweep thru the forest, the wives surrounded Charlie, touching his armor and scaring him half to death.

"ooo You're a real knight!"

"I love your beard!"

"How do you get it to curl like that?"

"I bet it tickles"

"How many dragons have you slain?"

"Like in a fairy tale"

"Are there fairies here?"

"I didn't see any"

"We didn't see any dragons either"

"We did find pirates"

"They found us"

"Well yes, but-"

"We needed a knight to rescue us"

"I bet you would have skewered them with your sword"

"Yes, especially their leader"

"With that lovely sword of yours"

"He was a captain. Pirates have captains"

"He didn't say he was a captain."

"Can I hold your sword"

"Hans? Wasn't his name Hans?"

"Hans? That's not a pirate name"

"He didn't even have a moustache"

"Some of them did"

"I'm sure I heard him tell Sasha his name was Hans"

"He probably lied. He probably had some stupid name"

"Yeah he was just trying to impress her"

"Get real"

"He wasn't any taller than Charlie"

"Yeah you could take him Charlie"

"Well he was a bit younger, and –"

"A lot younger"

"Lots of yummy muscles"

"Well yeah, but they were mean to us"

"They were not"

"They took our packs"

"Pirates take things"

"I don't have any clean clothes"

"I'm not wearing these clothes again."

"Alice was here for three or four days"

"Go ask her how she cleaned her clothes"

"I would settle for clean underwear"

"You go ask. She's cuddling up with Hatter"

"Poor Hatter. I hope he's ok"

"He's much better than the mean ole King"

"I told you not to ask so many questions"

"He's stuck up"

"Well you wouldn't shut up"

"You got us all tied up and gagged"

"You were talking as much as me"  
"How often do you get to ask a king questions"

"Charlie, how long have you been a knight?"

"Did you have to go to knight school or were you born to it, like the King"

"He was rude"

"I agree, he could have at least gone and looked for Sasha"

"Charlie would have, wouldn't you."

"I'm worried about Sasha"

"That pirate leader-captain Hans liked her"

"Sasha is very lovely"

"Not as pretty as me"

"She's smarter than you"

"She's smarter than you too"

"I bet she gets clean clothes and a bath"

"I want a bath"

"ooo yes a lovely bubble bath"

"my nails are ruined"

"Girls, scat. Let Charlie breathe." Glenna shooshed them away from Charlie. "Check the wagon. There's probably a full makeup kit in there somewhere."

"I must say," Charlie began watching them run happily towards the wagon. "They certainly are full of….life. Are they Zwoop's ….sisters?"

Glenna whooped. "oh no, no no no" She sat down beside Charlie. "They're his wives."

"What? Wives?" Charlie frowned and looked at them with his mouth open. "All three of them?"

"Actually, there's another one. Sasha." Glenna wiped her tears and frowned. She was worried about Sasha. Still Zwoop needed a lesson.

"Four wives? Four wives? Hmmm." Charlie pondered the thought. "I don't quite see…"

"No one else does either." Glenna touched his arm. "but it seems to work"

"Seems a bit selfish to me." Charlie decided. One wife would be amazing. Four? Sounded like a heart attack.

"Yes." Glenna fiddled with the fire. "Charlie..."

"Think I should go rescue Sasha? The others were worried about her." Charlie wondered.

"No. She wants Zwoop to rescue her." Glenna shook her head. She really didn't have time for all this. "but it's probably going to take him a while to figure it out."

"hmmm" Charlie agreed. "He's not a Knight"

Glenna produced sleeping bags, but not enough to go around. Zwoop and the wives moved off into the trees to be alone. Charlie and Ferret decided to stand first watch. Carol put her sleeping bag beside Glenna's near the fire where she could keep an eye on Alice. Hatter gave his sleeping bag to the wives and sat down to rest his back against a wagon wheel. Alice sat down beside him, unzipped her bag and tried to wrap it around both of them. He took it from her and wrapped her in it and held her close till he could hear her breathing softly. He would miss her. Probably couldn't live without her. He buried his face in her hair. He would miss the scent of her hair. Her laughter. The touch of her skin. He looked at his palm. **ALICE**. The cuts were healing. Careful not to disturb her, Hatter dug in his pocket for the glass shard.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

YES NO MAYBE

Alice opened her eyes and found she had turned around and snuggled into Hatters chest sometime during the night, still in the sleeping bag. He was rubbing a strand of her hair between his fingers. She smiled sleepily at him and saw it was almost dawn.

"Why's a raven like a writing desk?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Wait, I know this one." She stretched, wiggling against him.

"Yer hair's like a raven's wing." Hatter ran his thumb across her bottom lip.

"Ye're so very beautiful." He whispered. "Who are ya?"

"Alice. I'm Alice." She buried her hands in his hair and pulled him down to kiss him fiercely.

Shrieks and screams came from just inside the trees where Zwoop and the wives had bedded down for a little privacy. Everyone jumped up, grabbing weapons unsure if it was the Jabberwock or more Suits or something else.

A very naked Miss October ran out of the trees and straight into Charlie's arms. He automatically closed his arms around her and froze, beard wiggling up and down. Zwoop came running from the other side of the woods where he'd been patrolling. He stopped and stared. Glenna quickly took a blanket and got a still shrieking Melanie out of Charlie's arms and wrapped tight and sat her down in front of the fire. The other two wives, Candy and Bambi managed to get partially dressed before appearing.

"What's wrong child?" Glenna asked. She patted Melanie's back. "What happened?"

Charlie sat down on a rock and stared at her. Ferret stood there frozen, eyes big.

Zwoop came and took her in his arms and shushed her. "What happened baby?" He rocked her in his arms and looked at the other two wives for an explanation.

They shrugged and looked at each other.

Hatter tossed more wood on the fire and looked around. Alice folded her sleeping bag and sat on it. She was disheartened that Hatter didn't seem to know her this morning. For the first time, she wondered if there would be permanent side effects of this TEA. No wonder their world was falling apart.

When Melanie was finally able to talk without blubbering, she told them she'd opened her eyes to find a bug looking right at her. A humongous, ugly bug. "It was horrible!" Big tears ran down her face. Zwoop sighed and started to lead her back to get dressed.

"No!" she held the blanket tightly around her. "I'm not going back till you kill the bug!"

"It's just a little bug." Zwoop smoothed her hair back. "It's more afraid of you than you are of it."

"No! It's not little and it's not afraid!" Melanie shook her head refusing to budge.

"I will dispatch it for you, my lady." Charlie flourished his sword. "Don't worry about a thing."

Charlie marched barefoot across the clearing and disappeared into the trees. Hatter and Alice looked at each other and started laughing.

"Ya didn't make that much fuss when the Jabberwock was hot on yer heels." He said sitting back down beside her.

Glenna put the kettle on to boil. She handed a pot to Ferret and told him to go get some water.

"At least I never ran screaming and naked into someone's arms." Alice laughed, happy that he was himself again.

"I wish ya had!" Hatter waggled his eyebrows at her then looked serious. "I wanted ya to."

"Really?" Alice took his hand. "Naked?"

"Naked is good, yeah?" He grinned. "I can't tell ya how many times I wanted to hold ya. In fact, I don' think ya ran away from anything else." He smiled at her and then it faded. "'Cept me." He looked at the fire.

"I wasn't running away from you. Not exactly." Alice denied, scooting closer so their shoulders touched. "I was trying to rescue Jack and then my father. You kept distracting me."

"Very distracting, ya were." Hatter grinned at her. His old grin, that she loved showing his dimples. "But ya still chose Jack." The grin was gone.

"I didn't choose Jack. He knew where my father was." Alice frowned at him. "Besides, you didn't try to stop me! You told me to go. Twice." Alice picked up a stick and started poking the dirt. "You kept rescuing me anyway." She kissed his cheek.

He took her hand. "Ya need rescuing a lot. Like now."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Alice, I know I asked ya to marry me, but that was… was before." He shook his head. This was'na gonna come ou' right. "Ya can na' marry me now. I'm…. damaged. I know something's wrong. I know what FORGET TEA does to people." He snuck a look at her. She was frowning and he sighed.

"No! You're gonna be fine." She squeezed his hand. "Hatter…"

"No, ya listen for once. Ya need to cut your losses and get the hell ou' while ya still can." He looked at her and then down at the ground. "and … and find someone… whole." Just not _him_, never _him_.

"There's no way I'm giving you up now. Look, Hatter, we don't have to get married if you don't want to, but I am not leaving you. Not. Ever." Alice said defiantly. "Unless, you don't… you don't care about me anymore?" her voice trailed off.

"Care about ya?" Hatter laughed bitterly. "If I didn't care about ya, I wouldna' let ya go." Hatter took both her hands.

"Alice," Carol stood near them, "maybe you should listen…"

"No! I won't listen!" Alice snapped. "I won't listen to either of you!"

"Have ya no' heard a word I've said? I'm damaged….broken." He shook his head. He couldn't remember what he couldn't remember.

"Hatter, you listen to me." Alice stood up and looked down at him. "I love you. I never said that to anyone else."

"Alice, please. Yer making this so hard." Hatter stood and looked into the forest. "There's one thing ya learn early here. Just 'cause you want something does'na mean ya get it. Yeah?" He said bitterly.

"Look at me!" Alice pulled on his arm. "If you leave, I will follow you wherever you go. You know I will."

"Alice!" he groaned and put both hands on her shoulders. "What'll ya do if I don' recognize you some morning?" He pulled her into a hug. Alice wound her arms around him and promised herself she would never tell him.

He pulled back and studied her eyes. "Alice? Muh mind is full'a cracks and holes. Ya know what grows there."

"Love. Love grows there." Alice smiled blinking hard.

"David." Glenna interrupted. This had gone on long enough. There was no time. "Give Alice your hat."

Hatter looked at Glenna and then Alice, he took off his hat and handed it to her. Alice took it and held it in both hands not sure what to do with it.

"Alice, will you give up your friends and family, your world for David?" Glenna asked her. Carol gasped but Alice ignored everything but Hatter's eyes.

"Yes." She said clearly, eyes not leaving his. "Yes."

"David." Glenna went on, "Give her your grandmother's ring." David looked at her and then at his hands. He took a gold ring off his little finger and held it out to Alice.

"Alice, give him your hand so David can put his grandmother's ring on your finger." Glenna ordered. "the ring that's not been off his hand since she died."

Alice held out her hand and watched Hatter slide the ring on her finger. She smiled up at him shyly and sat his hat back on his head. He closed his eyes knowing this was a mistake but unable to make her leave. He'd given her up twice already, damned if he could do it a third time. Not if she really wanted him. He pulled her close and whispered her name in her ear.

"Ok. Now can we talk about the wedding?" Glenna asked sighing. Children were so tiring.

"Melanie, go and get dressed." Glenna told her. "And the rest of you finish dressing." Glenna waved at the wives.

The wives were whispering to each other. Zwoop frowned at them. Things were not going as planned. They were still in mutiny mode. They didn't seem to care what he said. It was all Alice's fault. He frowned at her. This was the first time he wasn't the hero of the story. It was very disconcerting. Almost …. Humbling.

Glenna laughed and Zwoop looked up to see her watching him. Sometimes, he thought, sometimes he could almost believe she could read minds. Nah. That was ridiculous.

"Melanie." Zwoop began, then looked up to see Charlie coming towards them with a palm sized bug skewered on the end of his sword.

"See, Miss October," Charlie waved bug and sword. "It was just a little bug."

She covered her eyes and shivered. The other two backed away from Charlie and the bug. Charlie dumped the bug in the fire where it started smoking.

"Alice?" Hatter pulled away so he could look in her eyes. "Did ya wear that blue dress for_ him_?"

"What?" Alice frowned. This remembering was getting tiresome. Why could he remember totally annoying details and forget the most important things. She took a deep breath.

"Yes. But-"

"Take it off." His eyes hardened. To think he'd loved her in that dress and she'd worn it for _him_, and never said a word. He sighed.

"What?" Alice pulled away from him. "It's not the same dress."

"It's close enough. _He_ recognized it." Hatter put his hands in his pockets. He missed his leather jacket.

"Hatter." Alice began and then turned her back to him. "unzip it then." She was tired of arguing, tired of having to prove she loved him. Still he did have a point about the dress. A small point.

"Mom, will you bring me the wedding dress? I don't have anything else." She took the beaded purse out of her pocket. Hatter unzipped the dress, his hand following the zipper down her back making her shiver.

"Alice!" Carol began and ran to get the wedding dress. Charlie turned his back and dragged Ferret around with him. Zwoop watched interestingly until Melanie poked him. He laughed and ushered his wives back to their camp to finish dressing.

Carol held the dress up in front of Alice as she stepped out of the blue dress, her back to Hatter. Alice pushed the wedding dress down far enough to step into it and held her hair up as Hatter zipped it. Hatter picked up the blue dress and tossed it on the fire where it smoked along with the bug.

"Glenna, you brought them extra clothes, why not me?" Alice asked pulling on the bolero jacket. At least this covered the green glow.

Glenna just smiled at her. "You don't need anything else. Now. This wedding will be tonite at moonrise at the Kingdom of the Knights. We need to get moving. It's a long ride." She started picking things up and packing.

"But." Hatter began.

Glenna turned on him frowning. "But me no buts, David. You gave her your grandmothers ring."

"Ya told me ta!" he protested. Not that he wouldn't have eventually.

"Alice said she would give up everything for you. You've already given up everything for her." Glenna shook her head. "What else is left for the pair of you but each other?"

"It's no' that I don' wanna marry her." Hatter argued. "But it's no' fair ta her."

"Did you or did you not do all those things she told us yesterday? Take a bullet for her, get captured and tortured trying to rescue her? Chase down the Jabberwock and save her?"

"Yeah, but…." He waved his hands vaguely.

"And more…much more." interrupted Alice. "he could have taken the ring anytime he wanted, but he didn't even ask for it." She smiled at Hatter. "He stopped anyone else who tried to take it."

Hatter looked at Glenna and Alice. He shrugged rolling his eyes. Ya could never win an argument with a woman, let alone two. They had to _see_ it for themselves.

"Is there a tux fer me in that wagon of yers?" he asked rolling his eyes.

"Of course there is. But you're not riding a horse in it. Ferret, go tell Lucas we are leaving in ten minutes. I need the horses hooked up. Charles, will you assist me in loading this wagon?" She smiled at Charlie and he rushed to help her

"Hatter," Alice said softly "If you don't want to marry me, I'll put a stop to this." She looked at her hands. At Hatter's grandmother's plain gold band on her hand and remembered the Stone of Wonderland.

"Hey." He lifted her chin to look in her eyes. "I wanted ta keep ya forever the second I turned around and saw ya in my office…. A pretty girl in a very wet dress."

She smiled at him. "You don't have to be jealous of Jack. You're the real Prince Charming in this story."

He grinned and pulled her tight. "I'll never tire of holding ya. Makes muh heart want ta burst, yeah?"

"If this makes your heart burst, what are you going to do tonite?" Alice giggled. "Or don't you people have honeymoons?"

His arms tightened around her. "Oh, yeah! I'm gonna have muh wicked way with ya, I am." He buried his face in her hair.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

THE BELLS TOLL

As Hatter helped Alice up into the wagon, he whispered in her ear. "Just so ya know, every time I look at ya," he grinned. "and every time I'm no', I'll be thinking of those little white lace knickers." He squeezed her hand. "And how I'm gonna take 'em off later."

Every time Alice looked at him that afternoon, he was grinning at her. And nodding his head. Slowly.

Glenna spent the afternoon telling stories of Hatter when he was little. "His mother was my best friend, you know." She told them. "She was very beautiful. That's where David gets his brown eyes."

"Alice, did David tell you about the warehouse…the club?" Carol asked.

"Shhh." Glenna said. "That's a surprise." She shook her head at Carol.

"What?" Alice asked. "What surprise? Tell me!"

"If you knew, it wouldn't be a surprise would it?" Glenna laughed. "It's a nice surprise."

"But I thought I had to give up my world, everything?" Alice frowned at Glenna who watched the horses plod along.

"Oh no. I just asked if you were willing to." Glenna glanced at her. "You don't _have_ to."

"That's a relief" Carol said. "I can't believe you were willing to give me up." She frowned at Alice. "Your own mother!" she shook her head.

"I'd miss you mom." Alice grinned at her. "I really would."

"hmmmph" Carol turned her head to look at the scenery. She wondered what Frankie was doing. Had he missed her? She frowned and told herself to stop thinking about him.

The Kingdom of the Knights had been transformed like the park. Flowers and lights everywhere, tables covered in white overflowed with food and champagne. A single table was filled with bells of all shapes and sizes. Hundreds of people were laughing and eating and dancing. Alice recognized a few faces, but most were strangers. The red King was back on his throne. Charlie was awestruck. He'd never thought he'd see it like this again.

When they pulled the wagon up, the crowd hushed and they heard whispers go thru the crowd. 'It's Alice. Alice is here.' Everyone started to move toward them. Someone stopped the music.

The crowd parted and a tall, very old man made his way slowly thru to stand before them, leaning on a black walking stick. When he got close enough, Charlie fell to one knee and cried out, "Teacher!" he bowed his head. Alice stepped closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

He looked at Charlie for a long minute, the silence went on and on. Finally he smiled. "If anyone deserves to be called a Knight, it's you. Get up boy." He patted Charlie on the head.

Charlie scrambled to his feet and reached to hug the old man who frowned hard. Charlie stopped and hugged Alice instead.

"Did you hear?" he tried to whisper but it came out a shout, "I'm a Knight!"

Alice laughed and hugged him back. "You were always a Knight to me, Charlie." she said.

The wives hugged him then pulled him into the open space where the dancers were. The music started back up and Charlie danced with all three wives at once.

Glenna handed out bags from the wagon and told Zwoop and Hatter to go find somewhere to change. "and try to wash a little first. You smell like horses."

Glenna told Alice and Carol to go into a small white tent. Then she looked at the wives. "I don't have fancy dresses for you three." She shook her head. "Someone here is bound to have something we can work with."

"Ferret. Get the canvas tub out of the wagon and bring it into the tent." He jumped up onto the wagon. "and then bring some hot water. Lots of hot water."

He nodded still digging thru bundles and bags.

"And then," Glenna waited till he looked up. "wash up and get changed." He frowned at her.

Glenna put her hands on her hips, "If we have to postpone the wedding because I have to scrub and dress you…."

Ferret sighed and gave a tiny nod. Dressed indeed. Like a doll. He ducked his chin to hide a grin.

After a quick bath behind a screen in the tent, Alice combed out her hair with one hand and held a towel around her with the other. She pulled on bra, underwear and the slip that made the skirts stand out. She could hear the wives giggling as they emptied the tub behind the screen and Ferret carried in more water.

"Alice, I've tried to fix up the white dress as best I can, but there is the blue one if you want to wear it." Glenna fluffed up the skirts while Carol brushed the white boots.

"Wow." Alice took the dress. "It looks almost good as new." She held it up and looked in the mirror someone had leaned against the screen. "I started with this dress and I'll finish with it. Is the blue one too short for Melanie?" She looked around for Ferret, then stepped into the white dress. Carol zipped her and set the boots so Alice could step into them.

"Don't we have a rehearsal or something?" Alice asked Glenna while she was putting a new circlet of flowers over her hair. It was really going to happen. She was getting married!

"All you have to do is answer the questions." Glenna said "it's just a series of promises to David. And he will make the same promises to you."

Carol took a small camera out of her pocket and started snapping photos.

"Mom, what else have you got in those pockets?" Alice laughed.

"You think I wouldn't want pictures of this moment? I've dreamed of this since you were born sweetie." Carol wiped her eyes and snapped more pictures. "I only wish your father could see you. Ok, I better change too."

Later Carol asked Zwoop to dance. He lifted his eyebrow and held out a hand. Once they were in the midst of the other couples, she said softly. "If Jack shows up, kill him."

He grinned at her and shook his head. "Seriously."

"I'm serious. If he shows up, you better stop him before he opens his mouth!" Carol smiled, and Zwoop saw she was serious. "Or I will." He laughed and swung her around. He couldn't see any pockets in her dress. But still, he would keep an eye out for the King. And Carol.

After her second glass of champagne, Alice beckoned Hatter closer. She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Those lace undies you were so worried about?" she tucked them in his inside coat pocket. "You don't have to worry about them anymore."

Hatter's mouth opened but nothing came out. Alice grinned and kissed him hard and danced away. He gulped hard and chased after her one hand reaching into his pocket.

When the full moon was completely above the mountains and shone on the party, Charlie lit the torches that made a pathway to the little pavilion where the Eldest waited. Someone changed the music to the haunting melody Alice first heard in the park back home.

Everyone gathered around them and Hatter took her hand. When the Eldest nodded, they walked slowly up the pathway and stood before him. Hatter could feel Alice's hand trembling in his and he squeezed it. She looked up at him and he winked at her and patted the outside of his jacket, over the pocket where the lace undies were. She swallowed and smiled back at him.

The Eldest spoke in a rich baritone that the farthest person could hear clearly.

"Face each other and hold hands."

"Know now before you go further, that since your lives have crossed in this life you have formed ties between each other. As you seek to enter this state of matrimony you should strive to make real the ideals which give meaning to both this ceremony and the institution of marriage. The promises made today and the ties that are bound here will cross the years and lives of each of you, in the days and times to come." The Eldest looked at Hatter.

"David Andrew Duckworth, do you still seek to enter this ceremony?"

Hatter nodded his head, "Yeah" he smiled at Alice. "I do."

"Duckworth?" she whispered to him "Duckworth?" She shook her head. Hatter grinned and winked at her.

The Eldest frowned at them and continued.

"Alice Louise Hamilton, do you still seek to enter this ceremony?"

Alice grinned back at Hatter and took a deep breath. "Yes, I do"

The Eldest nodded.

"_In the tradition of the cardinal directions; East, South, West and North, under Heaven, we ask blessings for this couple."_

"_Bless this union with the gifts of the East"_

"_Communication of the heart, mind, and body.  
Fresh beginnings with the rising of each Sun.  
The knowledge of the growth found in the sharing of silences."_

He laid two gold ribbons across their clasped hands closest to him—her left and his right..

"_Bless is this union with the gifts of the South"_

"_Warmth of hearth and home.  
The heat of the heart's passion.  
The light created by both, to lighten the darkest of times__."_

He laid two red ribbons across the gold ribbons.

"_Bless is this union with the gifts of the West."_

"_The deep commitments of the lake.  
The swift excitement of the river,  
The refreshing cleansing of the rain.  
The all encompassing passion of the sea."_

He laid two blue ribbons across the others.

"_Bless is this union with the gifts of the North."_

"_A firm foundation on which to build.  
Fertility of the fields to enrich your lives.  
A stable home to which you may always return"_

He laid two white ribbons across the rest.

"Each of these blessings emphasizes those things which will help you build a happy and successful union. Yet they are only tools. Tools which you must use together in order to create what you seek in this union."

"Look into each others eyes. Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?"

Hatter and Alice said "I will" at the same time.

"And so the binding is made." He tied the ends of the gold ribbons in a loose knot around their wrists.

"Alice, will you share his laughter?"

"I will" Alice answered.

"David, will you share her laughter?"

"Yeah. I will." Hatter answered.

"Will both of you look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other? Will you both share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this union?"

Hatter and Alice said yes.

"And so the binding is made." He tied the ends of the red ribbons in a loose knot

"Alice, will you share his dreams?"

"Yes."

"David, will you share her dreams?"

"Yeah."

"Will you dream together to create new realities and hopes?

"Yeah. We will."

"Yes, we will"

"And so the binding is made." He tied the ends of the blue ribbons in a loose knot.

"Alice, will you honor David?

"I will."

"David, will you honor Alice?"

"Every day."

"Will you both seek to never give cause to break that honor? Will you take the heat of anger and use it to temper the strength of this union?"

"I will."

"I will"

"And so the binding is made." The Eldest tied the ends of the white ribbons in a loose knot.

"David and Alice, the knots of this binding are not formed by these ribbons but instead by your promises. Either of you may drop the ribbons, for as always, you hold in your own hands the making and the breaking of this union." The Eldest took a step back and bowed.

Hatter stared at her, lost in her eyes. He prayed this wasn't another dream. If it was, he never wanted ta wake up. Then he raised their ribbon-tied hands and turned to face the crowd. Everyone cheered and rang the bells. Hatter brought their hands back down and kissed her hard. Finally. She was his. Let that bastard, Jack Heart try ta take her now.

He led her down the path between the torches and out into the crowd. Carol and Charlie took turns hugging them and trying not to cry.

Glenna brought a piece of cream cake and made them feed each other with the hands that were tied together. "No forks, use your fingers." She ordered. Carol snapped pictures constantly.

Alice resisted the temptation to smear cake on his face and blushed when he licked icing off her fingers. Hatter fed her a tiny bite "don't bite muh fingers!" he grinned at her and smeared icing across her lips and quickly kissed her, licking it off.

"Hold out your hands children." Glenna ordered and unknotted the ribbons. Working quickly she braided four of each color into a bracelet on Alice's left wrist and David's right. "Finally."

"If ever ya don' love me no more, just cut it off and I'll know." Hatter kissed the inside of her wrist above the ribbons.

"Dance with me, Mr. Duckworth." Alice swept him a wide curtsey.

Hatter raised his eyebrows, "Muh pleasure, Mrs. Duckworth." He bowed and took her in his arms to twirl her around. The others watched a minute or two and then began pairing up to dance.

"What's your last name, really?" Alice whispered in Hatter's ear.

"If yer a very good girl tonite, I might tell ya." Hatter pulled her closer, his hands sliding down the back of her dress. "Then again, that might be one of the things I've completely forgotten!"

Alice laughed and bit his ear. "Oooww!" Hatter protested, twirling her in circles certain his heart would surely burst.

Glenna stood beside Charlie at the edge of the party.

"Charles. I was wondering. Were you taught _all_ the Knightly arts?"

"Hmmm. Yes, my lady. I believe so."

"Romantic Trysts? Secret Rendezvous?"

"Oh. Um….Mmm. Yes. I believe…Tryst?."

"There's one or two points I would like to discuss with you," Glenna took his arm leading him away from the party. "in private."

Charlie's eyebrows went up. "I am well versed in all the knowledge of the Knights. But to be strictly honest, I've had no opportunity for practical experience." He looked down to see her smiling up at him.

"That's ok. I've had _practical _experience. Just not by a true Knight of the realm."

"I'm sure we can come to some _agreement_." Charlie's beard waggled.

"I'm sure we can come to several…_ agreements_." Glenna giggled.

_AN: Standard disclaimer for this story: I own nothing except my own characters._

_Wedding ceremony is adapted from the ancient Celtic Handfasting ceremony. I tried to make it more romantic. Hope you liked it and there wasn't too much fluff. Might do Honeymoon as a separate story, most likely rated M. I'm kind of sad that it's ending. I will miss this slightly mad Hatter. Thanks, everyone who reviewed and read! I hope you enjoyed it._


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